He grew to be 6 feet 4 inches tall, played football in high school, and paid for it for the rest of his life. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.A. degree in Art, he was told by his major professor that he should not expect to make a living from his art. So, he immediately left for Los Angeles, living in his van until he found work – and boy, did he make a living from his art!
He excelled in the movie business, as a special effects artist, and eventually as an art director. His milieu was space movies, such as “2001” and “ Star Wars”. His first paid gig was working on “Birdman of Alcatraz,” and later he honed his skills in movies such as “Ghost Busters,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and “True Lies.”
In December, 1986, he married the love of his life, Bess Wiley, whom he met while working on “2010.” Ron and Bess lived for several decades in Palos Verdes, California, supporting one another in the challenging, fascinating, ever-changing movie industry.
When Ron was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, his art career came to a sudden halt, and Bess tried to keep him home as his illness progressed. When he needed more care he was accepted into the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills, a residential facility built and dedicated by Kirk Douglas and his wife, Diana. MPTF ensures folks whose careers were dedicated to entertaining others will always have outstanding medical care and a safe place to live, allowing them to age with dignity.
Anyone who knew Ron knew his heart was as large as he was tall. His boundless love extended to the animal kingdom, and he shared his life and home with numerous cats, dogs, a parrot named “Tawanda,” and a rescue donkey named “Joseph.” And there was the orphaned fawn, found as a newborn near its deceased mother’s remains. “Bucky” had his own room in Ron’s house, complete with water bed.
His nephew Keba described him saying “Ron is a giant tree in our Forest.” His nephew Markham always called him “Uncle Hulk.” The entire staff at MPTF refers to him as “The Mayor.”
Our well-loved husband, brother, son, father, uncle, cousin, grandpa, and great-grandpa will be sorely missed by his wife, Bess, daughters Ronell Mind and Laurel Rennacker, sisters Pam Borelli and Terry Hamilton Wollin, and BFF, Jim Borrelli. He was predeceased by his parents, sister, Marsha Gress, brother Jeffrey Menges, niece Celeste Freeman.
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