Ronald O. Singer

Ronald O. Singer, age 79, of St. Cloud passed away on Friday, December 6, 2019 at the St. Cloud Hospital.

Visitation will be Thursday from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud. The Marine Corps League Valhalla Detachment #171 ritual will be at 6:00 p.m. immediately followed by a time of sharing. Burial with military honors will take place at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.

Christmas was Ron’s favorite holiday.  For the past 10 years or so, people would be greeted with a Merry Christmas and that person was handed a "It’s OK to Say Merry Christmas" button pin. He became very well known in the local grocery stores and all looked forward to what the button looked like this year.  Sadly, The Christmas Button Man decided to spend this Christmas in heaven with his sons, David and Danny and other loved ones.  Ron passed on December 6th from combat related conditions due to his two tours in Vietnam.

One of Ron’s favorite sayings was -EVERYDAY IS A HOLIDAY; EVERY MEAL A FEAST! It was a mantra that he used and lived by. Be thankful and positive.

Ron served twenty years in the United States Marine Corps, where he did two tours of duty in Vietnam.  Shortly after his second tour in Vietnam, he was selected to be part of the First Harrier Jump Jet Squadron and was sent to England to learn how to keep these ‘birds’ in the air.  He was in the first Harrier Squadron VMA 513, just one of many throughout his 20 years.  He retired honorably in 1978.

In 1981 Ron took a different career path when he was recruited as an Electrician – Instrumentation man by St. Regis Sartell Paper Mill in a place called Minnesota.  Living in Norfolk, Virginia he told me he truly thought with the temperatures he researched on MN winters there wouldn’t be any mosquitoes up there.  Ronald retired from the paper mill after 26 years there.

In 1984, Ron met Charleen Killian (Char) on a blind date and they married in August 1987 – and

Yes, there was and is a "And they lived happily ever after."

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Mary Singer; Dad (Emil) Rard, sons David and Daniel (Danny) and granddaughter Willow.  Sadly, with Danny passing in Feb 2019, it also made Ron a GOLD STAR father.

Ron is survived by his wife, Charleen, sons Charlie (Ginger), Rick (Kristie) and Ray (Debra), Brian (Corinne) and daughter Sheri Dee, sisters Sandy Quindo, Anna Alexander, and Susann Rard. 

Ron was also a beloved grandfather to Abbie, Sarah, Jordan, Brittanie, Amanda, Justin, Kevin, Christopher, Zoie, and Corbitt.  Blessed to be great grandfather to Rorin, Sebastian, Breandon, Lennon, Julian, Alexis, Jackson, Cole, Aubrey and Bryson.

Ron loved all kinds of woodworking and spinning ink pens out of different exotic woods.  He made wooden graduation money boxes and wooden wedding chapel money boxes for each grandchild’s special "grandpa" gift. Ron also loved his ‘Digger’ dogs- and totally bonded with our last Digger the 3rd- they were always together.