Ronald Gary Choura

April 26th, 1949 - December 5th, 2010

Ronald Gary's Memory Wall

We encourage you to share your most beloved memories of Ronald Gary here, so that the family and other loved ones can always see it. Share your favorite stories or comment on those shared by others.

I am very saddened to hear of the passing of such a wonderful man. Ron was a true friend and mentor to me and many other students at MSU. I was also blessed to know him as a colleague at the State of Michigan where I tapped him for information and advice any chance I had. I particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to come in and talk to his students year after year. He had an amazing ability to connect the material he was teaching with real examples in his life. Ron also never missed an opportunity to share stories about his family which he loved dearly. My thoughts and prayers are with Nancy and family during this difficult time.

~Paul Harmon, MSU 2005

Paul Harmon

Nancy and family,
I am so distressed over this news. Ron was the best supervisor and work friend I have ever had. He was the ONLY supervisor who knew more about telecom than me. He was always willing to help and always stood beside us in our decisions we made. He wrote a lovely final message to me for my retirement memory book which I will always cherish. We had a wonderful time making his retirement memory book and I hope you will always know what joy he brought to our lives. God be with you during this most difficult time.
Debbie

Debbie Hopkins

Dear Nancy and Family, I was shocked and saddened to hear of Ron's passing. He was great to visit with when we were out mowing and working in the yard. His help and with my mothers yard was greatly appreciated and I thought I had found a very nice and interesting friend in Ron. We chatted about many things, not just mowers and the like, but other topics including Habitat for Humanity and his volunteering. I wish I could have gotten to know him better, know that you all are in our thoughts.
Dave Wiatrowski & Family

Dave Wiatrowski

We are so sorry for all of you.
We remember Ron with great admiration and love. To know him is to love him.
He was always so pleasant to be with.He always spoke well and never wasted a word. He had great judgement in choosing a life mate and his three wonderful children are a credit to him.

On our choir concert tour of Bavaria and Austria, Ron was an every-generous and always reliable roady. He watched over our precious but bulky electronic equipment, kept it safe, and made sure it was set up right. After a concert he had the sound equipment packed and back on the bus even before the choristers. His behind-the-scenes care for us was a necessary part of the tour's success.

Our love and prayers are with you.

Conrad and Judith Donwkowski

Dear Choura's: It is with an extremely heavy heart that I offer my condolences. Ron will always be my best friend! I miss and remember vividly the days of interaction between our families, the laughter of all the kids, and the silent moments with Ron that seemed to be more communicative than any voice could have ever expressed. The personal support Ron offered, especially when rip tides appeared out of nowhere, will never be forgotten. Ron's friendship, honor, and trust will forever be with me.
An Old Friend & "Fellow Miner", Terry Grieve (Howell, MI)

Terry L Grieve

One of my early memories of Ron is seeing him throw a Frisbee down the backyard hill for his dog, Ralphie, to fetch.
His smile and demeanor were always warm and welcoming. As our families were growing-up the up/down-the-hill visits became more frequent. My respect and admiration for his knowledge also grew. Ron was a guardian angel of sorts and could be counted on for most anything.
The Messing neighbors will always appreciate his special abilities, humor and his German potato salad.

Paul Messing

I was so lucky to be Ron's neighbor the whole time he lived in Haslett. He and Nancy were like family.....I still forget they're not next door anymore. Everything about Ron was big: his laugh, his pride in his family, his energy for snow blowing at 5:00 A.M. and grass cutting in 90 degree weather. He even liked lots of cement....poured the largest driveway in the neighborhood.

Needless to say, his passing has left a big hole in the hearts of all of us who loved him. I'm sorry...

Judy Standley

I first met Ron in 1980 when I joined the Attorney General's office working with the MPSC. He was then, and always after, indefatigable, passionate, and a tough witness on the stand, capably defending his position. I always respected both his mind and his heart. He never gave up trying to serve the people of Michigan to the best of his abilities. I am very sorry to learn of his passing and offer condolences to his family. I trust that decades of great memories will provide some solace.

Jack Dempsey

I just heard about Ron's passing from my mom yesterday by mail. I was shocked and very saddened. I grew up with Ron in what is now Fairview Heights Illinois. Back then it was just an unincorporated area. We did so many things together. We were on baseball teams in Khoury League and basketball teams at Grant Elementary School. We loved to go out target shooting with Dennis Goedecke in the forest behind our houses. We also practiced archery and had a great time just hiking around. We kind of drifted apart in high school and then college. My wife Nancy and I really enjoyed seeing Ron in southern California a few times when he was out here on business. The last time I saw Carol she was a preeteen. My deepest sympathies for Ron's family. He was such a great guy! I'll always have wonderful memories of all the great times we had together.

Larry Pleskot

Today I came across "Ron Choura Memorial Fund" online and was in complete and utter shock - followed by deep sadness and a heavy heart. 6 years ago, as an international student at MSU, I worked with Prof Choura on several projects for two years. He became like a father figure to me. I cherished the advice he'd given me. He delegated challenging tasks that I thought I couldn't do - and I did them, with his help and guidance. I overcame challenges with confidence, and I thank him for my tremendous learning curve. He always went out of his way - dropping me home after teaching at the Magic Johnson Lab. I was impressed by his ability to efficiently respond to my emails, by his incredible patience, his quick mind, and his heart for people. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. One thing I'll never forget he said is that even when I'm a manager, I must always be open to learn new things and then teach others what I learned. That is what management is about. Ron Choura was my manager, mentor, friend and role model. This year I was planning a trip to the States, and the person I wanted to see was Prof Choura - to get back in touch with him after 6 years in Jordan. To catch up with him and to thank him for the impact he had in my life.

I am deeply sad and teary. I missed the chance of seeing him again. But I carry hope that I will see him again in a happier place.

My love and prayers go out to his family. I hope they know what I tremendous impact he had in my life.