Ron Woods

Every once in a while a shining star comes your way and that was Ron Woods.  He passed away today and I know that, if there's a heaven, he's up there.

Dennis and I bought our trailer at 3W in the spring of 2000.  We couldn't wait to get back down there in the fall and immediately set about putting in a concrete patio.  We didn't know a lot of people in the park but I'll never forget the day the concrete arrived and how many of the men just dropped by and started helping.  That was the first day we met Ron Woods.  He lived right across the road from our trailer and I can still see him, bandanna around his head and wearing rubber boots, rushing across the road to help us.  He became Dennis' best friend in the park.

We came to know that Ron was a hoot to be around.  He was so funny and always had jokes to tell.  He was also one of the kindest human beings I've ever known in my life.  When he wasn't puttering around his trailer, he was taking Gerry shopping or out to dinner.  He used to joke about having a harem because those treks out to dinner usually included half a dozen widows from the park, too.

He was a deeply religious man who lived his religion without pushing it on anyone else.  He was simply a darned good soul!  Every Valentines Day, we widows in his circle would receive a Valentines card taped to the front door.  He just had a knack of making everyone smile when he was around.

He and Gerry sold their trailer last winter because of their health issues and we all knew 3W had suffered a loss it probably would never overcome.  There are lots of good people in this world but very few can match Ron.  I've never known anyone like him and that's a sad fact.  His Gerry must be completely lost without him because he was her life and she was his.  It's a sad day.