Ronald Wilford Match

1941 - 2025

Ronald Wilford Match

1941 - 2025

West Jordan, UT-Ronald Wilford Match passed away at home on August 19, 2025 of natural causes at the age of 84. Ron was born on February 19, 1941 to Wilford W. and Violet Loertscher Match. He grew up on the west side of Salt Lake City, attending West High School and studying engineering at the University of Utah, mathematics being a real strength.

Ron was a member of the Operating Engineers local #3 and was an accomplished crane operator and iron worker. Out of school, he worked for Utah Crane and Rigging, alongside (and at the displeasure of) his father, Wish. After some time, and at the suggestion of Wish, Utah Crane dropped the engineering firm and began to use 20 year-old Ron to calculate the placement of heavy loads on multi-axle trailers to keep proper legal weights, as the company would rig and haul 60 or 100 ton electrical transformers.

Ron was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving two years at Fort Lee, Virginia as an operator. He helped to construct floating bridges for use in the Vietnam War. Ron worked for Larsen Crane and Rigging after discharge from the Army. In the early 1960s he was dispatched several times by a local radio station to climb the 200 foot tall radio towers with a backpack to replace the flashing red lights at the top. Ron worked 20 years with N.P. Mettome Co. doing steel erection and heavy machinery moving. He spent the last 25 years of his career self employed as Ron Match Machinery Movers, owning his own fleet of cranes and heavy equipment.

Ron used to enjoy stopping in to coffee shops most days after work to visit with other regulars at the counter, show off his Corvette and flirt with the waitresses while having a cup. It was at JB's Big Boy on 3300 South and 700 East that he met Marilyn Bills there working. They were married in March of 1967 and enjoyed a nearly 60 year union. They had two sons; Roger and Mike, and a daughter; Tara. Coffee shops continued as the norm, and he was usually home late for dinner.

Ron was a hobby letterpress printer. He acquired hundreds of drawers of printer's type on lead slugs in all sizes and fonts that would be placed into the many antique printing presses in his shop. He enjoyed the solitude and monotony of setting the individual letters, numbers and decorative characters to create some of the most beautiful letterheads, envelopes, business cards and wedding invitations imaginable. Ironically, Ron did a lot of print work for his crane and rigging business competitors.

Despite wrecking his new 1982 Chev pickup ogling a woman on a Redwood Road sidewalk, Ron was a very principled person and held others to high standards. For the kids at home, Ron was a supplemental school teacher; no algebra, geometry, trigonometry or calculus homework problem went unsolved. He taught his daughter to read the newspaper before Kindergarten which accelerated her a full year in school. He was highly respected by family and friends, but particularly by the people he worked with and the complicated dilemmas he was able to help them solve.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Mike. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; son, Roger (Hodie); daughter, Tara (Brad); grandchildren, Casey, Mason, Isaac and Avery; great-grandchildren, Elaina and Madison; and his sister Cherie.

The family would like to thank Wendy, Rosa, Serene and Cheri from Hospice for Utah for taking such good care of Ron in his final weeks.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 27th from 2-5pm at Fairfield Inn and Suites, 7141 FL Smidth Dr., Midvale, Utah 84047. Dress is casual and if you have a plain t-shirt and jeans, even better -- you'll be dressed in what Ron wore every day of his life. Extra points if you've got a Ron Match Machinery Movers promotional t-shirt somewhere in your closet.