Ronald K. McGetrick

Ronald K. McGetrick of New Providence, NJ passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, August 15, 2024 with his loving family by his side. He valiantly fought a 14-month battle with an aggressive form of bladder cancer.
Ron was born in Prairie City, Oregon to Herb and Betty McGetrick and was raised with his younger sister, Marcy, in Canyon City, Oregon and Redding, California. Ron flew his first airplane at age 14 and did not stop flying until retiring as an American Airlines pilot about 40 years later. Known to many as "Captain Ron," his hard work, dedication, and strong leadership qualities led one of his pilot instructors to say that Ron was "1 out of 1000 and not only performs his own duties in an exemplary manner, but also helps others to excel." That sentiment also highlighted Ron's selfless and dependable nature which permeated every facet of his life.
During his time at American Airlines, Ron met a lively young lady named Sandy. Ron and Sandy married in 1980, leading to a 44-year marriage full of love, laughter, sailing, adventure, and home remodeling projects. Despite not having any formal training, Ron developed the expertise necessary to remodel almost his entire home and tackle any home improvement job that popped up. His intellectual curiosity and desire to learn enabled him to routinely help others with everything from home repair to computer troubleshooting, to helping his children with their homework at every level.
Ron's kind, caring, and compassionate nature made him an exemplary husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He always prioritized family. Some of his most joyful life moments occurred in the last year and a half: walking his daughter Cristin down the aisle to marry her husband Sam, and welcoming his first grandchild Kinley, the daughter of his son Michael and daughter-in-law Liz, into the world.
Ron and Sandy loved sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. Ron's gift of being able to fix anything came in handy many times on the boat. He could shimmy up the mast to fix antennas or lights, then climb into the belly of the boat to repair the engine, water systems, etc. Ron and Sandy thoroughly enjoyed the friends they made through sailing and savored every stunning sunset and peaceful anchorage they experienced together.
Ron was a devout Christian and loved the Lord. Together with Sandy they built a strong community of friends through the churches they attended. The outpouring of love from the friends they made through the New Providence Presbyterian Church and Renaissance Church, along with their sailing buddies and the many other friends they made through the years, has been a shining light for Sandy and the family through the passing of Ron.
A memorial service will be held in Ron's honor at Renaissance Church (639 Mountain Ave, Springfield, NJ) on Saturday, August 31 at 1pm. We encourage attendees to wear white or "happy" colors, especially Ron's favorite color, yellow. In lieu of sending flowers, donations may be made in Ronald's memory to Mission Aviation Fellowship (www.maf.org), Renaissance Church (www.renchurch.com) or New Providence Presbyterian Church (www.thecornernj.com).