Lt. Col. Hugh Arthur "Hondo" Ronalds

Lt. Col. Hugh "Hondo" Ronalds passed away at the age of 84 on March 1st, 2026, in the comfort of his home with his loving family by his side.

Hugh was born in Pen Argyl, PA in 1942, to William and Joyce Ronalds. He graduated from Pen Argyl High School in 1960 and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation from the Naval Academy in 1966. He attended the Marine Corps Basic School and then the Army Artillery and Missile School before joining Bravo Co, Ist Bn, 5 th Marines in Vietnam. Hugh participated in combat during Operations Union 1 and II, and then Swift and Hue City, May '67-June '68.

Hugh was selected to attend the Air Force's flight training program and after completion of his Marine Corps jet training program, Hugh was designated a Naval Aviator in 1970. Hugh subsequently flew as a fighter pilot in Marine Corps F-4 fighter squadron VMFA 312 and VMFA 251 before being assigned as an advanced jet training flight instructor in the Naval Aviation Training Command. Hugh was subsequently selected to attend the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School and upon graduation he was assigned to return to Southeast Asia as a fighter pilot with VMFA 232 and conducting combat flight operations from Phom Pen, Thailand. Upon completion of his year Pacific tour of duty with the VMFA 232 "Red Devils", Hugh returned to the U.S. to join VMFA 314 at MCAS El Toro. After nearly two decades of worldwide flight operations experience Hugh was assigned as the Naval Aviation representative to the FAA where he served until his retirement in 1988. After his retirement from the Marine Corps, Hugh joined Northwest Airlines and served as an aviation training supervisor until joining NASA in 1994.

Hugh was selected by NASA to assume a leadership position on the NASA International Space Station Program. In that leadership position, Hugh fulfilled a critical role in overseeing the coordination and integration of ISS Program participation by the European Space Agency, Japanese Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, and Russian Space Agency. During his leadership tenure in the ISS Program successfully completed the design, development, test, and evaluation phases of the ISS Program and leading to the subsequent multi launch phase and historic on orbit operation of the ISS for over two decades. It is also during Hugh's exceptional service to the ISS Program that he was blessed by his marriage to his loving and most devoted wife Anna. In 2004 Hugh assumed a leadership position on the senior staff of the Johnson Space Center until his retirement from NASA in 2017.

Hugh is survived by his beloved and caring wife of 24 years, Anna. Anna's loving care and selfless dedication to Hugh has ensured that he could be with us here on earth for so long. Second to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Hugh's family was the most important part of his life, and he was blessed with three wonderful children Duncan Ronalds , Peter (Leslie) Ronalds, and Maureen (Joe) Santoli, six grandchildren Annabel, Charlotte, William, Lillian, Peter, and Hugh, and his beloved Bernese Mountain Dog Griffin, Olde English Sheepdog Bella and cat Kitten.

Hugh lived a full life, and he has touched the lives of so many and in so many ways. Hugh always had a friendly and contagious smile, an incredible sense of humor and a positive attitude even in the face of incredibly hard challenges, a strength that can only come from knowing our Lord Jesus.

The family will receive friends for the visitation at 11am to follow with a celebration of life at 12:00pm on Friday, March 13th, at Nassau Bay Baptist Church in Clear Lake, TX. Burial will be at the Naval Academy at a later date.

In lieu of flowers it is requested that memorial gifts be made to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation and the SPCA.