Ronald A. Klug

Ronald Allen Klug, 73, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Dec. 29, 2025, at his home in South Haven.

Family and friends may call from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 at Filbrandt Chapel, 1076 S. Bailey Ave., South Haven or 10-11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 718 Arbor Court, South Haven.

A celebration of life service will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, officiated by Pastor Stephen Daley.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church in South Haven or the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Ron was born at Memorial Hospital in St. Joseph, to Richard and Joyce (Young) Klug on Sept. 18, 1952. He attended Mount Pleasant School while helping out on the family farm in Sodus harvesting strawberries, tomatoes and grapes. He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1970 followed by Kalamazoo College earning a degree in chemistry in 1974. Following graduation, he started his career at the Northwest Indiana Criminology and Toxicology Laboratory in Gary, Ind. After moving to South Haven to join Wycoff Chemical Company, he stayed in the same lab while outlasting Wycoff, Catalytica, DSM Pharmaceutical, and finally retiring from Albemarle in 2018.

He was a servant of the Lord throughout his life in churches within Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod primarily of St Paul's, Sodus; Our Shepherd, Crown Point, Ind.; and St Paul, South Haven.

Ron and JoAnn Gerencser Froehlich married on Feb. 12, 1977 in St. Paul's Lutheran Church by Pastor Henry Peter. The first nine years of marriage were spent in Valparaiso, Ind., before moving to South Haven, Mich. They enjoyed more than 48 years of adventures together, raising four children. Countless hours were spent at sporting events, band concerts, horse shows and driving to and from each event. Maintaining home, store, and apartment house consumed the remainder of his free time.

Ron was a lifelong baseball fan, always rooting for the Orioles – good years and bad. He started playing sandlot ball in country grade schools. Later in life, he played in adult softball leagues and for the vintage baseball team, Douglas Dutchers. He also relaunched the Barkpeelers vintage baseball club in South Haven with his close friend, Rick Olsen.

In retirement, his analytical skillset was used to research and find other 1970 BHHS classmates and teachers. In this way, he prepared for their 50th and 55th class reunions, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Ron is survived by his wife, JoAnn of South Haven; children Suzannah (Alex) Deneau of Benton Harbor; Lillie (Vinod) Ponnusamy of Seattle, Wash.; John (Tristan) Klug of Fairbanks, Ark.; and Alexandra (Sergio) Ramos Klug of Coloma; nine grandchildren, Carolyn Deneau, Vincent Deneau, Jordi Ponnusamy, Carson Deneau, Petra Ponnusamy, Wilder Klug, Santiago Ramos Klug, Flora Klug, and Diego Ramos Klug; mother, Joyce Klug of St. Joseph; brother, Rick (Rachel) Klug of St. Joseph; sisters Stella Strasser of Styer, Austria, and Cynthia (Ron) Kucharzyk of Stevensville; brothers-in-law John (Linda) Gerencser and Steven (Elaine) Gerencser; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Klug, sister-in-law Elaine Gerencser Case, in-laws, Bill and Pat Gerencser, and Mickey Gerencser, his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

To those who choose to leave a memory or condolence please visit: www.starksfamilyfh.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Filbrandt Chapel Starks Family Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, 269-637-0333.