Ronald Marckini

Ronald Marckini was a man of integrity, who gave his all in everything he did with an unwavering and optimistic demeanor. He had accumulated knowledge, compassion and wisdom from his life experiences, gleaning from both the positive and the challenging events that life brought him. Ron understood what it meant to fight for a cause and to put others before himself. He loved his family dearly and was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

The Great Depression dominated American life in the 1930s, when the economic crunch took a toll on everything from the largest factory to the smallest family. By the end of the decade, however, World War II would revive the economy and bring American’s closer together. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Italian immigrants, Alfred and Augusta (Fioravanti) Marckini, were focusing on the positive things in life, the greatest of which was the birth of their son, Ronald Adolph, on May 17, 1936.

Ron was the second youngest of six children; he had three sisters, Eleanor, Diane and Joan, and two brothers, Richard and Fred. Ron and his siblings undoubtedly filled the house with their share of laughter, arguments and memories, not to mention mischief. A typical boy, Ron loved to tease his older sister, and truly lived up to being the “mean little brother.” Like many others of the time, the Marckini family was pretty poor, though Ron said “they didn’t know it, and lived a rich life.” Growing up in the plaster mill community, he received his education at Oak Grove Elementary and Catholic Central High School, where he graduated in 1954.

Although proud of their heritage, Ron’s father always told him he was American first, and Italian second. With great pride, Ron followed the same patriotic calling of other young men of the time, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly after graduating. He served aboard the USS Northampton during the last year of the Korean Conflict, and was able to avoid combat duty. After his honorable discharge, Ron returned home and entered trade school to learn sheet metal work. He became highly skilled in this trade, and never stopped learning ways to improve the work either. If he came in one morning saying “Now let me tell you this . . .”, his co-workers knew to listen.

During this time, Ron was introduced to a young lady named Dorothy McCarty through a friend, and they were eventually married. Over the next 11 years, the couple became the proud parents of five sons: Michael, Anthony, Phillip, Joseph and Ronald. Ron was a kind, yet strong father who did most of the disciplining. He and Dorothy raised their boys in a home on Kinney, which they bought in the mid 1960s. A jack-of-all-trades, Ron was very resourceful when it came to repairing and building things around the house. He had installed a pool in the backyard and finished their basement, where they enjoyed hosting many holiday parties over the years. Because of all his tools for tinkering and 5 boys to transport, Ron always drove a van. Later the van came in handy to haul his garage sale finds too – since he couldn’t pass one up.

Ron’s marriage to Dorothy eventually ended in divorce, and he later married a woman named Patricia VanNoellar, who died in 1996. He then began sharing his time with a lovely lady named Shirley Thaler/Lehman, who became the next Mrs. Marckini. They enjoyed visiting family and friends together, and loved going bluegill fishing.

Ron was a very knowledgeable man on many subjects, and because of this, he was respected greatly by his family, friends and peers. He was a loyal union member of the Sheet Metal Workers Local #7 for many years, and a deep-seated supporter of fair labor laws and benefits for workers. In fact, he was instrumental in obtaining a number of benefits for the workers, which are taken for granted today. Ron was strong in his beliefs and wasn’t a bit afraid to voice his opinions, regardless of the consequences. He was also a staunch and vocal Democrat all his life. Yet, there was also a softer side of Ron - he loved to tease people in what he thought was a loving, joking manner, though it sometimes didn’t come out that way. Ron was actually a pretty quiet guy until he got to know someone, then he was at ease enough to share his beliefs and ideals with them on a wide array of subjects.

When he wasn’t fighting for a good cause, Ron enjoyed spending his leisure time with his family and friends. He and his brothers were close, and they liked to get together and play/pick their guitars. Ron also liked to sing and play harmonica. His love of classic country music could be heard in his own singing; such as legendary music from Johnny Cash, George Jones, Marty Robins and Hank Williams. Ron had a soft spot for his cats, Sammy, Charlie, Thomas and Maggie. His family’s heritage was important so he became the family historian and did their genealogy. Over the last several years, Ron became the guru of email and loved to forward messages all day. If he wasn’t in front of the computer, Ron was in the kitchen, baking some of his homemade bread, or preparing his delicious pasta and sauce for a get together. What always brought a smile to Ron’s face was spending time with his precious grandchildren, whom he adored.

Ron had suffered with heart problems since he was in his 40s. In the last year, his heart condition became worse and he also battled with lung cancer. Ron passed away quickly, though unexpectedly on Friday, October 23, 2009, at the age of 73.

A devoted husband, father and grandfather, Ron will be dearly missed and frequently remembered.

Ron was preceded in death by his second wife, Patricia, and his brothers and sisters, Eleanor Brown, Richard, Fred and Diane Marckini. Ron is survived by his wife, Shirley; children: Michael (Roseann), Anthony, Phillip, Joseph (Elizabeth), Ronald, Michael Lehman, Tamara (David) Apkarian; grandchildren: Michael (Joanna), Matthew, Jennifer, Anthony Jr., Emily, Maria, Brittany, Holly Marckini, Brandon and Nicholas Lehman, Brittany, Abigail and Zachary Apkarian; great grandson, Blake; sister, Joan Hehrer; a special aunt, Gina Bianchi; his first wife, Dorothy Marckini; and nieces and nephews.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 27, at 11 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with interment to follow at Rosedale Memorial Park. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with one another on Monday, October 26, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids, and on Tuesday at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. The Rosary will be prayed on Monday evening at 7 p.m. with a time for sharing memories to follow. For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to either Boys & Girls Town or a charity of your choice. 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.