Ronald Lloyd Whitford, 86, of Tawas City died Saturday, September 28th at home with family at his side. He was born May 17, 1938, the 5th of 10 children of Wilford and Helen Whitford.
He graduated from Tawas Area School in 1957, the first class to graduate from the current Tawas Area High School. He worked as a pulpwood cutter like his father and brothers in the family business and a mechanic in his early years. He owned Whitford Sales and Service with his brother Larry. They sold snowmobiles and did auto repair. He retired from Thermogas in Tawas where he worked as a truck driver delivering gas. He enjoyed meeting new people and many of his customers became friends.
He married his first wife, Janet, in 1959; together they had three children. He married his second wife, Thelma, in 1979. He met his Sweetheart, Susan Hamlin, in 1990 and they were together for 34 years until his death.
Ron was a man of many interests, and in his early years he enjoyed riding motorcycles, snowmobiles, hunting, fishing in Canada, and golfing. In his later years, he enjoyed metal detecting, woodworking and traveling. His favorite trips were by train that he and Susan took together. In recent years, he enjoyed treasure hunting at garage sales, going to coffee on Wednesday’s with family and friends, along with rides in his white convertible to Tawas Point State Park and Tawas Lake. Ron could be recognized by the black cowboy hat he usually wore. His grandchildren often referred to him as Grandpa Cowboy.
Ron is predeceased by his parents, Wilford and Helen Whitford; his brothers, Gary, Roger, and Larry; sisters, Sherry, Patricia and Katie. He is survived by brothers, Bill and Sandy Whitford, Dennis and Patty Whitford, Terry and Jane Whitford, and sister-in-law, Kathy Whitford; children, Corena and Dennis Revord, Ken and Penny Whitford, Rod and Kathy Whitford; grandchildren, Sarah and Roy Smith, Jesse and Bretagne Whitford, Kyle and Amelia Whitford, Kasey and Aimee Whitford, Shane Whitford, Alyse and Gage Morgan, Alex and Marissa Revord, and Lindsey Andrews; great-grandchildren, Atticus, Hendrik, June, Eliza, Josie, Lia and Luke Whitford, Nora and Violet Morgan, Corbin and Lainey Smith, Adler and Briar Revord, Peyton Farner, Michael Cooley, Sofia and Isabella Sepulveda; special friend Eugene Near and Sweetheart Susan Hamlin along with many nieces and nephews. The care and compassion from the entire staff at the Iosco County Medical Care Facility over Ronald’s final days will never be forgotten.
Per his wishes, cremation has taken place and a celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
An online guest registry is available to leave a message of love and support for Ronald’s family at www.bureshfuneralhomes.com.