Ronald D. Muchow

Ronald Dean Muchow was born June 22, 1937, in the Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa to Walter and Ardale Muchow. He grew up as the fifth of six brothers – Kenneth, Charles, Walter (“Ace”), Ralph, Ron and Larry – in nearby Galena, Illinois, in the hill country on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The family always knew Ron as “Jim.” Go figure! Ron passed away peacefully on February 15, 2025, at his home in Stansbury Park, Utah, surrounded by a devoted circle of friends and shirttail relatives. He was 87 years young – a life well and fully lived.

Ron graduated from Galena High School in 1956, and married his classmate, Eleanor Talmadge. The young couple moved to SLC Utah in 1961 when Ron found employment as a diesel mechanic with Pacific Intermountain Express – P.I.E. Ron soon put down deep roots at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church, where Ron sang in the choir, coached youth basketball and softball teams, and provided spirited (rambunctious?) supervision as a youth group advisor. (The Fericks brothers and many others thank you, Ron!) The Cottonwood Pres. community was one that Ron branched out from and returned to repeatedly over the ensuing 60 years.

Ron and Eleanor had no children, and their marriage ended in divorce. But in 1969 Ron married a Cottonwood Pres. lady named Catherine Cone, who already had two beautiful young daughters, Denise and Nannette, from an earlier marriage. Together, Ron, Cathy and “The Girls” formed a strong nuclear family and began pursuing their lifetime avocation – collecting a rich menagerie of friends, most of whom Cathy approved of. Others, not so much. (We know who we are!)

There were many surprising dimensions to Ron. Example: He was lovingly known for playing a robust Santa Claus, with Cathy as faithful Mrs. Claus by his side. For over 20 years, Mr. and Mrs. Claus flew by helicopter to the Shriners Hospital on Christmas morning to deliver presents to the children, always getting huge smiles and fierce hugs from the young patients, and tears of joy from their families and the medical staff.

Another example: Ron and Cathy both had beautiful singing voices. They spent many years in classical choral groups like Pro Musica Utah and the Utah Oratorio Society, sometimes traveling around the world for concerts and choir trips. (Thank you, Marlow Nielson and Dick Horrocks!)

Ron had a strong work ethic, gained from years of working on his family’s farm in Galena. In Utah, Ron worked for P.I.E. as a mechanic, and owned his own lawn care business. (Thank you, Cass Hopkinson!). Ron also worked for KALL Radio (thank you, Bennie Williams!) and, until just a couple years ago, for Liberty Tire. (Thank you, Rob Jahries!) Ron was a skilled handyman who could build or fix anything.

Ron enjoyed golfing, gardening (always petunias, and usually a large vegetable patch), hosting an epic yearly Pig Roast, and drinking a Bud Light (or two, or three) on the porch with friends and family. Ron was a devoted Utah Utes fan – his home, furnishings, clothes and vehicles all had Ute logos and red accents. He even had a converted school bus that was tailgate central at Runnin’ Ute football games for years. With decades-long friends like Ken Atkin and Dick Hershey, Ron was in constant motion on adventures like Snake River fishing trips, annual Sweet 16 golf tournaments, and being “camp cookie” for elk hunting parties.

Ron’s penchant for making strong, lasting friendships was exemplified by his bond with Dr. Duncan (“Dunc”) McDonald. Way back in 1950 when Ron was just 13, he had a mishap with a dynamite blasting cap. It cost Ron the thumb and parts of two fingers on his left hand, but also most of the sight in his right eye. The need for ongoing expert eye care eventually brought Ron to Dr. Dunc’s ophthalmology practice in SLC. And while the medical care was exemplary, the friendship between physician and patient was powerful and lasting. Every evening for years, until the end of Dunc’s life, Ron would check in by phone with: “Hey, how ya doing, old friend?” In a similar vein, Ron continued to collect devoted friends right up to the end, too many to name, but too dear to ever forget. (Bless you. You know who you are!)

Anyway, after Cathy died in 2014 from Alzheimers, Ron returned to the Cottonwood Pres. well and struck up a loving partnership with Sharon Cavagnolo, a lady who had been part of that church community ever since those formative 1960s years. Sharon walked by Ron’s side in his final years and held his hand right up to his death on Saturday, February 15th while he was under the tenderest of hospice care. (Thank you, Sharon!)

Ron was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, by his wife, Cathy, and by his step-daughter Denise Jorgensen. On the Utah front, Ron is survived by his step-daughter Nannette (Robert Brown), eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren (with one on the way). On the Illinois side (thank you, Howard!), Ron is survived by a sister-in-law, Jean Muchow, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Ron’s life for family and friends will be on Saturday, March 29th from 4 to 8 pm at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Millcreek. Guests are encouraged to use parking and entrance located on the north side of the building.

lovetotherescue.org.

Or they can be mailed to:

Shriners Children’s Hospital

Office of Philanthropy

1275 E. Fairfax Rd.

Salt Lake City, UT 84103

Go rest high on the mountain, dear friend. We will miss you forever.