Ron L. Norton

Ron L. Norton, a strong yet gentle, kind, and generous soul, passed away at 10:04 p.m. Thursday, July 2, 2015, at Boone Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. He was born on March 15, 1953, in Aledo, Illinois. He was the oldest son of and Frank Wesley, Jr. and Esther Mae (Frye) Norton. Ron attended school in Alexis and Monmouth, Illinois. On September 22, 1984 he married Cathleen Aden and together they had a son, Travis. The couple divorced in 1994. He worked in Monmouth at Wells Pet Food Company and later on at Envision Boats where he was responsible for inventory and parts management. On June 8, 1996, Ron married Glenda Tucker in Canton, MO., and moved to Mexico, MO. There he began work at Sporlan Valve Company as a tester for air conditioning valves. The company was acquired by Parker Hannifan in 2004 and the plant was closed in September 2007. During these years Ron made the trip back to Monmouth every two weeks to spend time with his son. He was a very proud father and worked at setting a good example. Ron loved to read and he liked to buy his own books so he could read them again. He preferred paperbacks because they were lighter to hold. His favorite genre was science fiction (excluding fantasy) and westerns. If the weather was good and he had someone to join him, Ron enjoyed fishing, especially for crappie. He loved going to movies and live concerts and watching them in the comfort of his home as well. He played cards with friends and loved sitting outside and visiting with neighbors who walked by. His wife was a gardener and Ron enjoyed walking around the flowerbeds and sniffing the flowers in bloom. He recently had gotten involved in learning about his family genealogy. A laid-back kind of guy he rarely pushed his will on anyone. "That's okay. No problem," was a response often given. He was sensitive to the feelings of others and would make efforts to increase the comfort of those around him. He was a proud grandfather and his only regret was not being able to see them more often. Ron is survived by his wife Glenda Norton of Mexico, MO, his son Travis (Angel) Norton of Monmouth, and two brothers: Jeff (Patty) Norton of Alexis, IL and Mike (Debbie) Norton of Monmouth; one sister: Sandy (Tom) Sage of Monmouth; three grandchildren; and friends and family who will miss him greatly. Memorial services will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, July 11, 2015 at McGuire & Davies Funeral Home and Crematory, Monmouth. Interment of his ashes will be in Monmouth Cemetery. His family will be present to receive friends prior to the service from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials can be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.