Ron Kelly

We got to know Ron Kelly a little better at his Celebration of Life last week when we had to say good bye to him, our good friend and colleague in the world of Real Estate. It was news to me that Ron loved to hop in his boat and cruise around on Lake Almanor, not to fish or water ski, but to just cruise, the faster the better. I didn’t know the animal lover he was, the horseback-rider; or that his Labrador Gizmo with the stinky skin condition was his very best pal.

When I first met Ron, he said he intended to make a serious run at a career in Real Estate. I questioned his plan, warning him about the time commitment and the unpredictability of the business. He had just retired from a 37-year career in management with J.C. Penney.

Ron smiled softly, reached his hand across the desk and gently laid it on my arm. “Don’t worry,” he said, “it will all work out fine. You’ll see.”

He was right. Ron took to Real Estate like a Labrador to water. His calm demeanor, his patience, and his gift for problem-solving served him perfectly. Ron offered the reassuring, steady hand.

Ron was a local Chico boy, but born in San Francisco, because the weather in April 1948 was hot, and Ron’s mom headed to the Bay for relief when she was coming due.

Ron went to Notre Dame School and was an altar boy in the choir. He went to Chico High and lettered in basketball in 1966. He stayed local after high school and went to Chico State and graduated with a degree in Business.

Because Ron was such a standout as manager for the J.C. Penney’s store in Chico, he was transferred out of town a few times to work his magic in other stores that weren’t working so well.

Ron knew how to manage when it came to romance, too. We know this because in 1984, when he fell in love with his employee Susan, he fired her so he could date her. They’ve been married since 1985.

At the Celebration of Life, I was regretting not getting know Ron better. Maybe other people were, too. But the Officiant who ran the Celebration, the Reverend Eileen Brownell, M.S., read a poem that eased our minds. It was if Ron reached across and put his hand on our arms.

The poem is called “We Said Goodbye a Thousand Times” and read, in part: “Don’t be sad about my parting/ Don’t feel like you never said goodbye/ For you and I both know in our hearts/ That we said goodbye a thousand times/ And shared so much love and joy every day.”

Thanks for everything, Ron.