Ronald "Mick" Lee Vanderpool, 70, of Warsaw, died at 2:02 p.m. June 25, 2010, in Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne.
He was born Dec 8, 1939, in Silver Lake, to Fred and Marie Reffitt Vanderpool. On Nov. 4, 1961, in Richmond, Calif., he married Dee Tarpley by the Rev. J.H. Kuykendall.
He graduated from Silver Lake High School and from International Business College. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving from December 1957 to April 1962.
He joined the food industry in 1966, working at Safeway Stores, Orinda, Calif. He managed A&P food stores in Warsaw and Maumee, Ohio. In 1972, he had the opportunity to move into the world of plastics where he learned plastic compounding, buying, selling and the art of extrusion. He was the co-founder of Paragon Medical, Pierceton, where he holds several patents. He was instrumental in the development of the plastic case and tray portions of the business. He designed and hands-on directed the building of plastic sheet extrusion line, setting Paragon Medical apart from others in the plastics manufacturing industry. He retired from Paragon Medical in 1999.
He greatest love was just being with God, his family and friends. He also enjoyed the outdoors and was an accomplished morel mushroom hunter, a fisherman and a gardener. He tutored his children and grandchildren in these activities. He also enjoyed game hunting with his friends.
He attended Warsaw Community Church. He was a member of Elks Lodge, Warsaw; American Legion Post 253, North Webster; and was a past member of the Lions Club, Leesburg.
Also surviving are three daughters, Robbie Kiser and Kim (and spouse Troy) Furnivall, all of Warsaw, and Jennie Vanderpool, Indianapolis; a son, Mike (and spouse Lucia) Vanderpool, Warsaw; a sister, Bonnie (and spouse Keith) Evans, Warsaw; two brothers, Dick (and spouse Phyllis) Vanderpool, Columbus Ohio, and Jim (and spouse Lenni) Vanderpool, The Villages, Fla.; seven grandchildren: Heather Kissell; Hilary and Dylan Kiser; and Trent, Katie, Sara and Gabe Furnivall; and a great-grandson, Spencer Walter. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Billie Hill.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, 2290 Provident Court, Warsaw, with Pastor Denny Wilson officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, with miliary honors.
Calling is from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
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Memorials may be made to the Kosciusko County Community Foundation Inc., 102 E. Center St., Warsaw, IN 46580.
Condolences may be sent via mchattonsadlerfuneralchapels.com
