Ronald A. Stedman
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Ronald Arthur Stedman was born in Ferndale, Michigan on Wednesday, December 23, 1936, to Arthur and Pauline Stedman.
Although he was born in Michigan, Ron grew up in California graduating from Lowell High School in San Francisco. As a teen, Ron spent at least one summer on a ranch, much like some youths today spend at a summer camp. Ron exhibited talents both in basketball and music as a trombone player. Basketball would be a life-long love of Ron's, both playing on the neighborhood courts and as a sports fan of the Golden State Warriors.
Upon high school graduation, Ron enlisted with the army during the Korean War. Enlistees were evaluated for their shooting abilities and Ron scored well enough he was designated as a sniper. However, Ron was relieved when the army found out he played trombone and avoided combat on the front lines by joining the army band.
After his army service, Ron attended San Francisco State University majoring in business. In 1960, his first child, Veronica, was born and they moved a year later to Detroit where Ron helped his father run the family furniture business.
While working in Detroit, Ron attended Wayne State University for his Masters Degree while working various jobs to support his family, including selling diapers, textiles and life insurance. Ron was also began his teaching career in this time and showed skills for teaching.
In many ways, Ron is the epitome of an entrepreneur. He started and managed many businesses, including owning a fried chicken & biscuit & pizza restaurant, as well as selling and trading turquoise jewelry, and running a waterbed store. Again, Ron moved around the Detroit metro area living around Royal Oak, Ann Arbor, and Trenton before starting his move towards Monroe, Michigan where he would settle in the 1967 as a business professor at Monroe Community College.
While at Monroe Community College, Ron led DECA - the Distributed Education Clubs of America - into numerous national championships with his college students, won multiple national awards. His leadership and ability to motivate his students led to numerous students to become successful entrepreneurs themselves opening business both locally in Monroe and outside the local community, a real testament to his teaching skills. His students opened ice cream stores, restaurants, car repair shops, and other businesses under his tutelage. Many also became skilled general managers in different organizations.
Never one to be settled, Ron continued moving around, living La Salle, Adrian, and Monroe, Michigan. In 1975, his son Scott was born and then 3 years later, Saunder came along in 1978. Ron was fond of taking annual and frequent trips to southern Florida and often stayed in the Barefoot Bay area. Ron and Kristine were married in 1989, adding Brittany to the family. When Ron retired from teaching at Monroe in 1994, the family moved to St. Augustine, Florida.
Though retired, Ron was not one to stay idle. In addition to various sales positions and working at a "Rooms to Go" store, Ron became much-loved tour guide in St. Augustine as a trolly operator pointing out places of interest to St. Augustine's tourist crowds. Ron even did substitute teaching, proving the adage "once a teacher, always a teacher."
In addition to loving his Golden State Warrior and San Francisco 49ers, he loved his family. His children and grandchildren were the apples of his eye. Ron was dedicated to being a part of his grandchildren's lives, sponsoring them in the local marine biology summer camp classes and visits to Denver. Ron signed up for the ultimate Grandfather gift, with he and Kristine raising their grandson, Dylan, who joined the Stedman clan in 2002 - this exemplifies the type of caring father and grandfather Ron was in life.
Late in life, Ron converted to Catholicism. After years of study, Ron became baptized as a Catholic in 2010, fulfilling one of his personal goals. Ron is survived by Kristine, his wife of 33 years, daughters Veronica and Brittany and their spouses, Jay and Alex, sons Scott and Saunder and grandchildren Evan, Monica, Erik, Mitchell, Grant, and Dylan; as well as his great grandchildren, Liam, Jorden, and Oakley.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Thursday at Craig Funeral Home, the family will receive friends from 1:00 PM until the time of the service at Craig Funeral Home. Burial will be in San Lorenzo Cemetery.