Ronald G. Fessenden

Ronald G. Fessenden
1941-2015

Ron Fessenden, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend passed away on August 23, 2015 due to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. IPF is a progressive and deadly disease of the lungs with no cure.

Ron was born on Easter Sunday, 1941 in Salt Lake City, to Walter L. and Eva S. Fessenden. Eight months later, the United States entered World War II. Between that time and the end of the war, Ron and his brother Roy were shuffled between various relatives while their mother worked in California for the war effort and their dad was fighting the war in the South Pacific.

Ron lived with his paternal grandmother and step-grandfather from the first through the fourth grade. One of those years he was confined to the Primary Children's Hospital on North Temple in Salt Lake City with Rheumatic Fever and was one of the first such patients to be treated with sulfa drugs.

Ron and his brother Roy were reunited in 1951 when their father, returning from the war, had met and married their step-mother Ethel Cummings. Ethel was a saint who accepted both boys as her own and put up with their shenanigans with very few complaints.

The family moved from Salt Lake City to Ogden in 1954 where Ron completed his junior high and high school years. In his senior year at Ogden High School, Ron served as student body president , was a member of the debate team and a capella choir. He received a "President's Scholarship" to the University of Utah where he studied marketing and advertising.

While attending the "U", Ron was employed by local television station KUTV. In those earlier days of the fast growing media, he did a little bit of everything from running live studio cameras to loading feature programs and commercials on film, to creating commercial and program sets. During the summers, Ron also worked as a retail sales representative for the Ogden Standard Examiner.

Ron married Kathleen McEwan in 1961 (later divorced) and had two wonderful children, Julee Kay and Michael Guy, who have been the light of his life.

In 1962, KUTV sought to expand their news division and asked Ron to move back to Ogden to establish a sales and "news bureau" for Northern Utah and Southern Idaho.
During his time in Ogden, Ron had various assignments from NBC News including coverage of Robert F. Kennedy and his family on a river rafting trip on the Yampa and Green Rivers in Utah. He also spent a week in Sun Valley covering Jackie Kennedy, Caroline, John Jr. and the rest of the Kennedy clan shortly after President Kennedy's assassination. Many of Ron's stories found their way to NBC's Huntley-Brinkley Report as well as the Today Show. Ron also served as president of the Intermountain Press Association in 1965.

In 1966, Ron accepted a position with the University of Utah's Athletics Department as Sports Information and Promotion Director where he was responsible for all press relations locally and nationally. He published all game programs, press brochures and established the Utah Sports Radio Network. He produced all of the games for the radio network and was the commentator on all away football and basketball games.

In 1974 Ron returned to television with local station KCPX (now ABC4 Utah) as a local account executive. He later became local sales manager and then general sales manager. It was during this time that he met and married the love of his life, Patricia Harrison Jeppsen. Pat had one son by a previous marriage, Robert Deon, whom Ron was eager to accept as his own. All three children, Julee, Mike and Rob made Ron so proud. His only one regret was not spending enough time with all eight grandchildren and six great grand children.

During Ron's years with KTVX, he was elected President of the Utah Advertising Federation; Governor of the 5-state District 12, American Advertising Federation and was a member of the Board of Governors of the American Advertising Federation. In 2005, Ron was recipient of the highest honor from the American Advertising Federation and the Utah Advertising Federation with their "Silver Medal" award for a lifetime achievement in advertising, marketing and service to community.

Ron was elected to a two-year term as president of the West Valley City Police Honorary Colonels in 2005-06 and continued to be an active member until his passing.

Ron retired from KTVX in 1995 to what he hoped would be a slower paced life with a membership at Willow Creek Country Club. However, he was lured back to the television industry three years later when Warner Brothers sought to establish a new affiliate television station in Salt Lake City. He eventually retired from KUWB (now Utah's CW), in 2005.

Ron and Pat were able to travel extensively throughout his career, visiting most of the United States and 27 different countries and islands.

Ron leaves behind his wife and soul mate Pat; daughter Julee (Michael) Oddino; sons Michael (Cami) Fessenden and Robert (Suzanne) Jeppsen; eight grandchildren; and six great grandchildren. His brother Roy (Linda) and sisters Joan Carroll and Pamela Elder.

The family would like to thank the Lung Health Study program at the University of Utah; the Caring Voice Coalition; the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis; the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and all the wonderful people who Ron had the pleasure of working with over the years.

As per Ron's wishes, there will be no funeral.

A viewing/wake will be held on Friday, August 28th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. Complimentary valet parking will be provided on the north side of the building. Graveside service will be held on Saturday, August 29th at 12:00 PM at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City.

In lieu of flowers, consider donating to Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org