Ronnie Gordon Albright was born in Chesley on Friday, April 29, 1960 to parents Gordon and Hilda (Krueger) Albright. At the time Ronnie joined older siblings, Carl, Elaine, Lois, Howard, Irene, Wallace and Joyce with Sharon and Randy following him. Who knew at that time that Ronnie would live in that same residence for the duration of his life. The kids attended S.S. #11 in Mooresburg, with Ronnie completing his elementary education at Sullivan Community Elementary School. He proceeded to high school at John Diefenbaker High School in Hanover.
Following high school, Ronnie (Hammy to his Interforest friends) began working at Interforest outside of Durham, a position he held for the next 14-15 years. Ronnie enjoyed his job, however his Osteoporosis, Arthritis and an earlier back injury soon forced him to leave his current position. Unfortunately, his poor health never allowed him to get back into the regular workforce. Over the ensuing years, Ronnie had many odd jobs, helping many friends and neighbours with their needs. It was often said that Ronnie would give the shirt off his own back and do anything for his friends, neighbours and family. In recent years, he became very close with Moses and Elizabeth Stutzman and their family. The Stutzman children brought Ronnie his mail daily and helped him with wood and other chores daily, allowing him to keep his independence in recent years.
In addition to being a handyman and fixing anything and everything, Ronnie also liked to collect any “old” odds and ends and was never one to throw anything away. He loved feeding the birds and made countless bird houses over the years. In addition to the birds, Ronnie had a large soft spot for the many stray cats he fed over the years. The only animal that trumped the birds and cats was his beloved four-legged friend Licky. If you were ever to stop in for a visit with Ronnie, the radio was always on, as was the TV. Why both you may ask? Well Ronnie enjoyed the radio but apparently Licky enjoyed his cartoons, so Ronnie often had both on. Also when Ronnie was cutting the grass with the riding lawn mower, Licky was always on his knee. The other staple at Ronnie’s place was the wood stove. It didn’t matter if it was -10 or 20 above outside, you would often see smoke coming from Ronnie’s chimney. As you can imagine, Ronnie’s health often led him to feel cold, thus the excessive use of the stove. It was said that Ronnie’s house was a constant 32 degrees Celsius no matter the season. He even used the wood stove for the majority of his cooking. Ronnie could hold his own in the kitchen and absolutely loved including onions and garlic in the majority of his creations. Another great pastime for Ronnie was staying connected with friends and family via the telephone. He spent many hours socializing with others, always reaching out to friends and family on their birthdays and took the time to call his Aunt Myrtle every Sunday. He also remained close with many friends from Interforest over the years. Many cards were exchanged back and forth, allowing Ronnie to stay connected when his physical body limited his day-to-day routines.
Sharon shared a cute story of Ronnie in their childhood. Due to the size of the family, Ronnie often had the task of keeping an eye on Sharon when outside, in their youth. On more than one occasion, their mother would yell out and ask Ronnie why he was just standing in one place in the yard. The simple answer, Sharon had fallen asleep when out playing and Ronnie took his responsibilities seriously, stayed close by and looked after his sister. This is just one example of Ronnie’s caring personality.
Ronnie’s faith was also an important aspect of his life. He was baptized, took his first communion, and was confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Sullivan Township. Although quiet in nature, Ronnie wore a cross necklace around his neck daily representing his faith. In recent years, as his health worsened, Ronnie was never one to complain. He took everything in stride and managed his physical pain to the best of his abilities.
Sadly, after a brief hospital stay, Ronnie passed away at Grey Bruce Health Services, Owen Sound on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 in his 57th year.
Ronnie will be sadly missed by his sisters Elaine Golem, Irene (Wes) Fenton, all of R.R. #1 Desboro, Joyce (Howard) Hodgson of Chesley, Sharon (Ted) Fritsch of R.R. #1 Chesley, brother Randy (Lisa) of R.R. #1 Chesley, sister-in-law Gloria Albright of R.R. #4 Chesley and their families. He was predeceased by his brothers Howard, Wallace and Carl, sister Lois Copeland, brothers-in-law John Golem and Jim Copeland and his parents Gordon and Hilda (Krueger) Albright.
Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Monday, April 17, 2017 from 12 noon until the time of the funeral service at 1 p.m. Interment in St. Peter’s Lutheran Cemetery, Sullivan Township.
Memorial donations to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Building Fund or The Residential Hospice of Grey Bruce would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
