Ronald Eugene Ama was born in Cedar Rapids, IA. He grew up in Oklahoma City suburbs. He served in the Navy for 6 years, achieving the rank of E6. During this time, he enjoyed cruises in the Indian Ocean and had opportunities to see Kenya, Seychelles, The Philippines, and Hawaii. He went to electronics school while serving. After serving in the Navy, he was employed as a technical writer for the Post Office in Oklahoma City for several years, writing technical manuals and procedures for equipment.
Ron learned the sign fabrication trade from his uncle. He worked in the sign industry for over 30 years, owning two businesses and working as a project manager and an estimator for other sign companies. One of his most notable projects was fabricating the interior wayfinding signage for the Wynn casino in Las Vegas. To ramp up for the project, he hired over a dozen entry-level temp employees, some of whom had not yet learned how to read a measuring tape. He patiently mentored and trained them, also imparting life principles and a strong work ethic. This positively change the trajectory for several of those young guys. The project was very successful, and the beautiful signage can still be seen at the Wynn. Ron was employed as an estimator for YESCO at the time of his passing. Colleagues conveyed that his professional expertise and friendship will be sorely missed.
Ron met his wife, Suzie, on June 12, 2002. During their 20 years together, they enjoyed golfing, hiking and camping with their dogs, taking scenic drives around the Eastern Sierra, listening to audio books together, and discussing all kinds of topics. Ron was a deep thinker and philosopher at heart. He loved the writings of Thomas Aquinas, Søren Kierkegaard, and others. He loved to contemplate the meaning of life, existence, and events. Several years ago, he became curious about the Catholic faith, started reading lots of books, and felt led by the Holy Spirit to become a Catholic. He said that the first time he received the Eucharist, he experienced a profound sense of God’s presence.
Ron passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at home at the age of 61 on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Ron was predeceased by his parents, Edwin and Thelma. He is survived by his wife, Suzie, and his siblings, Doug, Diana, and Dave.