Ronald H Waight's Obituary
Ronald H. Waight passed away peacefully at home with family by his side on August 28th after a short battle with cancer.Ronald was born October 13, 1934 in Butte, MT to Robert and Vivian Waight. Preceded in death by the love of his life, Cynthia, his wife of nearly 45 years, he is survived by his son, Michael Waight, daughter, Cynthia Phillips, son, John Waight, stepsons, Dean and David Zierman, stepdaughter, Denise Zierman, brothers Ed & Bill Waight, sisters, Roberta Byrd and Barbara Smith, 15 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, extended family, and many others who called him “Dad” or “Grandpa.”
Ron moved to the Salishan area of Tacoma as a young boy. He attended Lincoln High School and lived in the city of Tacoma all the rest of his days. He proudly served in the Marine Corps from 1953 to 1957. While in cold weather training in Alaska his unit was overcome with blizzard like conditions. As he would retell the story, some in his unit did not survive the night. In 1953, while on a ship in transit to the Korean War, he was redirected due to the signing of the Armistice to Subic Bay, in the Philippines. He often spoke fondly of his time in the Philippines which included membership in the base drum corp. He left Subic Bay suddenly following an incident while standing late night guard where he used deadly force to stop local thieves from robbing a military facility. He was then shipped to Japan and eventually returned to Camp Pendleton in California. He often reverently retold stories of his time in the service. The Marine Corps had a profound impact on him and he enjoyed traveling to reunions with his fellow servicemen.
Ron had many professions throughout his life. He sold shoes at People’s store, he drove for delivery services, he even dabbled in real estate. Most notably he was the manager of the bowling alley for the Tacoma Elks Lodge for many years.
He bought his first house on Geiger Street in 1963, then bought the house two doors down in 1972, where he resided with his wife Cynthia and their blended family for the rest of his life.
Ron was always a person who had hobbies. For years he was into rock tumbling and polishing and would take the family camping to distinctive locations to hunt for unique stones. These trips often involved fishing and tubing on the many lakes and rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Aside from various hobbies, Ron had a few passions including bowling, the aforementioned camping, and photography (for which he won first place at the Puyallup Fair). He was also an avid golfer. In his many years of playing, he achieved three hole-in-ones, of which he was quite proud, including the one he sunk during a tournament. After retirement, he loved to play at the Allenmore course where he also marshaled for many years.
He was a good father and husband who was devoted to his beloved Cynthia while always willing to help his kids when they needed it. He was unique in his warmth and caring.
In later years, he could regularly be found sitting in his chair watching old movies, or the Mariners and Seahawks. The term “dad joke” was created because of Ron. He had a fantastic sense of humor and a memory for jokes that was second to none. His laughter was infectious and he loved to laugh often. He was a pleasure to be around. Additionally, he was a kind man who loved singing songs, whether around a campfire or with family gathered after Thanksgiving dinner. He also enjoyed socializing, and storytelling was one of his favorite past times. Connections were very important to him; from seeking out classmates and Marine buddies online, having neighbors over to the house for a bucket of chicken, or hand delivering birthday cards to local family- Ron loved talking and spending time with others, and everyone loved Ron. He will be profoundly missed.
He will be laid to rest alongside Cynthia at Mountain View Funeral Home in Lakewood on Saturday, September 19, 2020 in a private service. Due to COVID restrictions, a gathering of friends is postponed to a later date.
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