SYRACUSE — Ronald Lee “Ron” Strieby, 70, Syracuse, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, as the result of a bicycle/automobile accident.
He was born Sept. 11, 1948, in Warsaw, to Ronald Duane and Bonita Pauline Richards Strieby.
Ronald and Elizabeth Heedick Strieby met and graduated from the Ozark Bible Institute and were married on June 20, 1970. Ron’s world revolved around his five children: Ronald Nathan, Adam, Brian Lee, Judith (Raska) Strieby and Luke (Shilo) Strieby; and of course his two grandsons, Freddy and William, and one on the way.
His siblings are Randy Strieby, Apollo Beach, Fla.; Pamela Hire, Mentone; Deborah Scharf, Warsaw; and Cynthia Shue, deceased.
As a teenager, Ron trusted Jesus as Savior and was active in the church. Bible Baptist Church, Ligonier, was the last. He studied to be a pastor and sang in choir. He will be remembered as a good father, a generous man, and for his wish for a better future of unity and love among his family.
Ron loved gospel and folk music and had stacks and stacks of CDs of his favorite music. Not only did he love music, he was good at creating it as well; singing and guitar were his specialties.
As a mountain man of old, a lifelong trapper, hunter and explorer, Ron was a man out of his time, as his father before. When he wasn’t traveling to hunt bear in Montana, he hiked around every lake and nature preserve in Kosciusko, as well as most counties in Northern Indiana. His knowledge of the land was surprising; he could tell stories of a place’s history in a way that made the past come alive.
A builder his entire life, Ronald built houses, barns and anything that involved his love of trees. His last summer was spent building a barn, which he created while showing that even at 69 he could outwork anyone. His work ethic continues to inspire those who saw it.
Ron would jump to help anyone that needed it, no matter what the circumstance, without ever being asked, and with no expectation of repayment. His favorite days were those in which he could tell his family about someone he’d helped out that day. A natural storyteller at heart, he was known to have a mischievous sense of humor.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today, Sept. 14, at Owen Family Funeral Home, 1001 S. Huntington St., Syracuse.
Funeral services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, in the funeral home. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery near North Webster.
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To send condolences to the family in memory of Ronald Strieby, visit www.owenfamilyfuneralhome.com.
