Ronald Deering

Ronald F. Deering was born on October 6, 1929, in Ford County, Illinois with family roots in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. He died at peace on March 4, 2026.

Raised in Hamilton, Ohio, Dr. Deering graduated from Hamilton High School in 1947, earned his Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) from Georgetown College in 1951, a Master of Divinity in 1955, his Ph.D. in 1962 from the Southern Theological Seminary, and finally his M.S.L.S. from Columbia University in 1967.

He was an Ordained Baptist Minister, serving as the pastor of the College Hill Baptist Church of Cincinnati, 1950-1953 and then at Blue River Baptist Church of Salem, Indiana, 1955-1959. He also served some thirty-four interim pastorates of Baptist churches in Indiana and Kentucky, as well as supply preaching at scores of Baptist churches in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Dr. Deering served on the faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for forty years (1961-2001) including as Instructor of Greek New Testament, Library Director, and retired as Associate Vice President for Academic Resources in 2001.

Dr. Deering also served as Chairman of the Southern Baptist Historical Society, as a longtime member and President of the American Theological Library Association, the Kentucky Library Association, the Louisville Library Club, the Library Council of the Kentuckiana-Metroversity, the Theological Education Association of Mid-America, and was a member of the accreditation teams of both the Association of Theological Schools and the Southeastern Association of Schools and Colleges. His biography was included in Who's Who in America as well as several regional and professional biographies. He was also commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel.

His spiritual life was formed and nurtured over the years in the West Side Baptist Church (Hamilton, Ohio), Georgetown Baptist Church (Georgetown, Kentucky), and three Baptist churches in Louisville: The Crescent Hill Baptist Church, the Westport Road Baptist Church, and finally the Broadway Baptist Church.

Dr. Deering enjoyed travel in all fifty states as well as Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, England, Switzerland, France, and especially Germany. He enjoyed photography as his hobby.

Dr. Deering was preceded in death by his father Minor Deering in 1953, his first wife Geraldine (Gerry) Gibbons Deering in 1965, his only sibling, June Deering Bowling in 1979, his mother Grace Perkins Deering in 2000, and Sisters-in-law Ginny Zelenski (Dick) of Rochester, MN in 1998, and Mizti Proctor (Bob) in 2015 of Kissimmee, FL.

He is survived by his beloved wife Edith (Edi) Proctor Deering after some fifty years of marriage, their two sons Mark (Jessica) of Naples, FL and Daniel (Jenny) of Louisville; Beloved granddaughter Angelia Grace Deering, also of Naples, FL; Goddaughter Veronica Strickland Birkenstock and her husband Brian and children Andrew and Lauren of Frisco, TX; Nephew Palmer Bowling of Hamilton, OH and niece Kathy Bowling; Brothers-in-law Robert Proctor of Kissimmee, FL, Ed Proctor of Madison, WI, Dale Proctor (Sue) of Roscoe, IL; Sister-in-law Bonnie (Jim) McQuilkin of Magnolia, IL; Many cousins, nephews and nieces; From his first marriage brother-in-law Kenny (Judy) Gibbons of Hamilton, OH, sister-in-law Susan Gibbons of Columbus, OH, and a host of friends throughout America and Germany.

Visitation will be held at Pearson's Funeral Home, 149 Breckenridge Lane, on Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, with service at Noon. Burial will follow the next day in Rose Hill Cemetery in Hamilton, Ohio.