Ronald Alworden

Ron Alworden was a very soft-spoken and unassuming man whose actions spoke volumes of his character. As a husband, brother and friend, Ron had a way of putting all the people in his life at ease, making them feel welcome and blessed to be part of his life.

The year 1946 was a mixture of historical events and items for trivia in the United States. For the history books, President Harry Truman officially proclaimed an end of hostilities in World War II, and for the trivia buffs, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart premiered. This was a wonderful year for William and Dorothy (Rush) Alworden of Cadillac, Michigan too. They welcomed a tiny bundle of joy into their lives with the birth of their son, Ronald, on February 22, 1946. The Alworden household would eventually be bustling with the busyness of 10 children.

Ron spent much of his early childhood on their family farm on the outskirts of Cadillac. The family later moved into town, where Ron attended the area schools. He was such a shy and quiet boy and usually stuck close to his brother, Vernon, who was his dearest friend all of his life. In fact, when Vernon and his wife, Mignon, moved to Kalamazoo in 1968, Ron was close behind. Once settled here, he went to work at the old Claridge Fan Company for a while, before taking a job at Master Bunting Brass and Bronze, where he remained for the last 20 plus years.

Ron and his brothers, Vernon and Phil, were avid bowlers and played on both the 8ball and PBR Leagues. Ron also bowled on the Airway Ball and Chain League with his partner, Sydney Mosier, who he eventually began dating. The two had a long courtship before Ron got his nerve up to ask Sydney to marry him. It happened that they were on their way back from a wedding in Cadillac when Ron, with the help of a few drinks, finally asked Sydney to be his wife. The couple was happily married on October 1, 1988, a day Ron treasured as the greatest in his life.

After saying “I do,” Ron and Sydney settled into married life together in Vicksburg. To get away from the busyness of life, the couple loved to head to their cabin near Baldwin, particularly in the summer when Ron could fish on a nearby lake or hunt in the woods. He was also a big NASCAR fan, and they made several trips to the Michigan International Speedway to watch his favorite driver, Jeff Gordon. At home, Ron just tinkered around the house, usually accompanied by his Yorkshire Terrier, Maggie. In 2007, Ron’s beloved wife Sydney became ill, and he tenderly cared for her for the next 2 years until her passing in May 2009.

On Thursday, January 28th, Ron went to work not feeling well, and his boss told him to go home and get some rest. Some time that evening he took a turn for the worse and was taken to Bronson Hospital, where he underwent emergency open-heart surgery and tragically died.

All who knew and loved Ron Alworden will treasure his memory.

Ronald Alworden, age 63 of Vicksburg, MI, died on Friday, January 29, 2010, at Bronson Hospital. Learn more about Ron, view his life story film and visit with family and friends while sharing light refreshments on Monday, February 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, 5975 Lovers Lane, Portage (344-5600), where services will be held on Tuesday, February 2, at 1 p.m.

Members of Ron’s family include his siblings: Philmore Alworden, Clifton (Virginia) Alworden, Vernon (Mignon) Alworden, Donald (Pat) Alworden, Loretta (Richard) Todd, Velda Baldwin, Donna (Steve) Sherwood; several nieces and nephews; and his stepchildren: Margaret (Jeff) Schreiber, Cheryl Dunham, Tom Dunham and Jay Dunham. He was preceded in death by his half brothers, Cecil Rush and Richard Deneane, and his wife, Sydney. Please visit Ron’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory or photo with his family or sign his online guest book before coming to the funeral home.