Ronald Wilkins

Ronald M. Wilkins, former resident of Las Vegas, passed away May 12, 2004 of heart failure. Ron was born March 7, 1932 in Valley City, N.D. and moved with his family to Southern California as a young child. He attended elementary and high school in Ontario, Calif. and graduated from Chaffey College in Ontario with an Associate of Arts degree. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War as an electronics technician on the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Boxer. Following his discharge from the U.S. Navy, Ron attended the Schiff Training Center in New Jersey and became an executive with the Boy Scouts of America. After serving in several Scout councils in Southern California, he accepted a position with the Boulder Dam Area Council in Las Vegas. After leaving the Scout program, he joined the First Interstate Bank staff as a loan officer and appraiser. He retired to Cottage Grove, Ore., where he was residing at the time of his death. Ron was an enthusiastic participant in barbershop quartet singing, beginning in his early Navy years, and continuing until his health interfered. In Las Vegas, he sang with the Gamble-Aires Chorus, where he served in may capacities, including chorus director. In Oregon, he was a member of the Cascade Chorus in Eugene. Ron is survived by his wife, Sonja of Cottage Grove, Ore.; children, Ann (Ted) Hibbs of Arvada, Colo. David (Eva) Wilkins of Hillsboro, Ore., Eileen (Ken) Scarbrough of Carson City and Ross (Jeanne) Wilkins of Virginia Beach, Va.; stepsons, Rocky (Tracy) Yoda of Canberra, Australia and Randy (Jennifer) Yoda of Las Vegas; grandchildren, Daniel and Kyle Scarbrough, Geoff Hibbs and Devin Wilkins; step grandchildren, Megan, Gwendolyn and Brianna Jerkins; sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Wilfried Langer of Mill Creek, Wash.; and nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held in June. Ron has requested that memorial contributions be directed to the Cascade Chorus, Eugene chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in American (SPEBSQSA).