Ronald Dale Tabor

REMEMBER the Fallen. . . HONOR those who Serve. . . TEACH our children the value of Freedom.

Colonel Ronald Dale Tabor, USAF (Ret.), passed away on March 22, 2026, in Miramar Beach, Florida, at the age of 74.

Ron was born on May 4, 1951, in Oklahoma City to Beaulon H. Tabor and Velma Dobbs Tabor. He graduated from Grant High School in 1969, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Oklahoma State University in 1973, and a Master of Arts in Management from Golden Gate University on June 9, 1979.

Through his involvement in ROTC, Ron developed a strong sense of purpose and commitment to military service, leading him to join the United States Air Force. He entered active duty on June 15, 1973, beginning a distinguished 29-year career. He served as an aviator and navigator, flying B-52 bombers and the SR-71 Blackbird-an assignment he regarded as a crowning achievement and a source of deep pride.

Ron began his career at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, California, where he served as a navigator on B-52 aircraft. He then moved to Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana, before being assigned to Beale Air Force Base in California. There, he entered the SR-71 program and undertook temporary duty assignments to Okinawa, Japan; Palmdale, California; and Mildenhall, England. In Okinawa he met his wife, Ellen Norfleet.

After leaving California, he was assigned to the Pentagon in Virginia, where he worked at the Joint Reconnaissance Center. Following this, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, marking the first of two assignments. Subsequently, he served at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska at Strategic Air Command Headquarters.

Ron then served at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, as a Support Group Commander, where he was pinned to the rank of Colonel. Next, he became Wing Commander at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. Later he served in Mons, Belgium, as a Special Assistant to Strategic Air Command, where he worked for the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SHAPE).

He then returned to Montgomery, Alabama to Air University Headquarters for two years, before completing a second tour at the Pentagon, where he was a survivor on September 11, 2001. He retired August 31, 2002, with the rank of Colonel.

Following his military retirement, Ron worked as a government contractor at Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Ron and Ellen married in 1986 sharing 40 years together. Following retirement, they settled in Miramar Beach, Florida.

A man of deep faith, Ron was a member of Resurrection Catholic Church in Miramar Beach, volunteering as usher and member of the charity organization Men of Resurrection (MORE) . He was an avid golfer, sharing this passion with Ellen.

He is preceded in death by his parents and survived by his beloved wife, Ellen, and a wide circle of family and friends from around the world.

A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 hours (CT), on May 4, 2026, at Resurrection Catholic Church in Miramar Beach, Florida. He will be laid to rest at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Wreaths Across America or MORE at the Resurrection Catholic Church, located at 259 Miramar Beach Dr, Miramar Beach, FL 32550.

Thank you so much for supporting the In Memory of Ronald Dale Tabor and Wreaths Across America! https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/190723