Ron earned his Eagle Scout rank at 14, as a ninth-grader, and was student council president and a member of the basketball team, according to a newspaper clipping at the time.
The very short article marked the three central forces in his life: community service, a fascination with history and government, and a sport he loved. The fact that the family clipped the article and saved it serves as a testament to his chosen career.
A Bickel Scholar at the University of Tennessee, Ron dropped out two quarters shy of graduation to join the staff of a weekly newspaper in Lenoir City, Tenn., in 1973, going to work for longtime owner and publisher Vernon McKinney at the Lenoir City News.
It was in the newsroom at The Oak Ridger in 1985 that the state government reporter met his future wife, the lifestyles editor; they married April 30, 1992, while he was working as publisher of The Jessamine Journal in Nicholasville, Ky.
He expressed his gratitude for the introduction to Tom Hill, The Oak Ridger’s publisher and another mentor, at the wedding, which was held at The Lakeside Grill, at the bar where the couple had their first dates when the facility was known as Gregory’s on the Water.
In 2011, Ron took a position with Smith Communications in Eatonton, Ga., to facilitate “chasing grandchildren” who lived in Jefferson; their grandmother had decided East Tennessee was too far away for PopPop and NaiNai to be part of the children’s “everyday lives.”
Among his favorite companions were the nearly two dozen dogs and cats he rescued, adopted, or fostered over the years, especially his beloved mutt, Stranger. “The more people I meet, the more I like my dog,” was emblazoned across his favorite t-shirt.
With his daughter-in-law's encouragement, he volunteered with Dirt Road Doggie Rescue during his Covid-imposed retirement, embracing the challenges and rewards of fostering senior dogs and those with health issues. He provided unconditional love and care for Smokey, the first, until Hairy Dawg, the last, before his own illness took precedence.
In addition to his wife, Ron is survived by his stepsons, Kevin Wright of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and David (Amy) Wright of Jefferson, Ga.; grandsons Emerson and Madux Wright of Jefferson; granddogs Cutie, Sophie, and Shelby, and grandcat, Chewbecca, of Jefferson; his sister, Judy Joiner, of Virginia Beach, Va.; and her children, Scott (Alicia) Joiner of Lake St. Louis, Mo.; and Suzanne Joiner and Sherry (John) Harrell of Virginia Beach; and his “second mother,” Maxine Mantooth, of Knoxville, Tenn.
In accordance with his wishes, his brain has been donated to the Mayo Clinic Brain Bank in Jacksonville, Fla., for further research into PSP, and his body, to the Body Donor Program at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia in Suwanee.
David and Amy Wright will host an informal, drop-in open house at their home, 95 Vantage Drive, Jefferson, on Sunday, Nov. 16, from noon to 6 p.m. Casual attire is encouraged; UT gear is encouraged. Additional celebrations are being planned in East Tennessee and Minnesota, with dates to be determined.
For those inclined to memorialize his life and death, Ron suggested donations to your local food bank, Council on Aging, or Meals on Wheels program; to Dirt Road Doggies Rescue, PO Box 79, Gillsville, GA 30543 (or visit dirtroaddoggiesrescue.org/donate/); or to Cure PSP, 325 Hudson St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013 (or visit https://tinyurl.com/2utydh7p).