Ronald Willett

Ronald LeRoy Willett was born April 13, 1934 in Lake City, Iowa, to Herald and Ruth Lowder Willett. He grew up and attended school in Jefferson, Iowa. He joined the Naval Reserves while in high school. After graduation, he moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where he met Carol Hill, of Sigourney, Iowa, a student at Iowa Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. They were married on September 15, 1955. In January 1956 he went on active duty with the Naval Reserves, and they moved to Long Beach, California, until December 1958. After a year as a farm hand in Humboldt, Iowa, and dispatcher for a trucking company in Des Moines, he enlisted in the Air Force in July 1960. The next 17 years were spent as a computer repair technician and instructor, in the states of Mississippi, New York, Alaska, Minnesota, and Colorado.After retiring from the Air Force in April 1977, he worked as head custodian for the Byers School District, until a heart attack in 1978 forced him to quit. He also worked as a security guard and with Wright Tree Service. He cared for the Byers Cemetery for several years and was on the cemetery board until his death. His health declined, with triple coronary artery by-pass surgery in November 1999. In spite of failing health, he has been actively involved in church and community activities, serving with the Byers volunteer fire department and rescue squad for over 20 years, as well as chaplain for Byers American Legion Post 160, and president of Tri Valley Senior Citizens Association, and the local Byers senior citizens. In August 2004 he received the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award.
He departed this life on Sunday, August 6, 2006, to spend Eternity in the Glorious Presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He is survived by Carol, his wife of over 50 years, a son Michael of Aurora, Colorado, a daughter Linda of Cameron Missouri, her husband Kevin Krentz, 3 grandsons: Lincoln (Lacey), Tyler (Lyndsey),and Clinton, a great grandson, Gage, a brother Paul Willett (Wilma) of Jefferson, Iowa, and their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and a host of friends and other relatives.
Services will be held Saturday, August 12, at Mt.Tabor Baptist Church in Byers at 2:00PM. Burial will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Tuesday, August 15 at 11:00AM Viewing will be Friday, August 11 from 4 to 8 PM at Newcomer Family Funeral Home, 190 N. Potomac, Aurora, Colorado.
Shared memories from family and friends can be a comforting reminder of the impact we have on each other's lives.