Ronald Warren Bondy, the oldest son of the late Warren and Betty Bondy, was born July 20, 1945 in Walla Walla, WA where his father was stationed as an Aerial Gunnery Instructor for the Army Air Corp. Following Warren’s release from active duty, the family moved to Ft. Peck, MT where Ron attended grade school. Ron attended high school in Nashua where he graduated in 1963. After a year of continuing education in Nashua, Ron joined the U.S. Navy where he enjoyed four years of active duty at Great Lakes, Il, Newport News, VA, Hawaii and Guam. He had sea duty on the USS Isle Royale and the USS Newport News.
After his Navy tour, he returned to the family home in Highmore, SD where he took a job as the “Sunshine Milk Man”. He then attended Black Hill State College in Spearfish, SD during which time he worked seasonally as a firefighter for the US Forest Service. This eventually turned into permanent employment with the BLM in fire suppression. Ron moved to Riverside, CA and later transferred to Battle Mountain, NV where he retired from the BLM in 1999. His heart led him home and he moved to Park Grove, MT.
Ron never met a stranger. He would visit with anyone, anywhere and even though he was a big man with big hands, he was an expert at counted cross stitch, crocheting, tatting, fly tying, leatherwork, and lathe work. He would make gifts for a lot of people he met which included crocheted scarves, personalized book markers, tatted crosses and pen and pencil sets. He also made many rattlesnake belt buckles after eating the snake for breakfast! Ron loved Amtrak and would usually take the train whenever he traveled to see family for holidays although would sometimes drive. Sadly, he was never able to make his dream trip across Canada via Amtrak but in his earlier days, he was able to go through Scandinavia with his youngest sister, Chucky. Ron was a back roads kind of traveler and wasn’t afraid to go off the beaten path to explore small town USA. He would occasionally look up long lost relatives and stop in to reconnect during his travels.
Ron was light on his feet and loved to dance. He belonged to square dancing and clogging clubs and would dance 7 days a week. He was great at waltzes, polkas and jitterbugging. Any time there was music on, you could be sure he was dancing to it with anyone he could get out on the floor with him.
Ron also loved hunting and fishing and was a licensed Ham Radio Operator with a call sign of KB7GCX.
Sadly, Ron’s traveling days ended after suffering multiple strokes which ultimately lead to him being admitted to Valley View Nursing home in Glasgow later transferring to Fallon Memorial Nursing Home in Baker, MT to be closer to his sister Terry. Ron passed peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday August 1, 2017.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Warren and Betty Bondy and two nieces, Christy and Michelle Mace. He is survived by his brother, Rick of St. Ignatius, MT; his sisters, Mikey (Jim) Hamlin of Spokane, WA, Terry Bondy (Dave Hickey) of Baker, MT, Nicki (Larry) Mace of Spring, TX, and Chucky (Jeff) Fink of Elk Grove Village, IL as well as numerous and dearly loved nieces and nephews.