He was born in the Armourdale district, of Kansas City, Kansas, on May 21, 1923, son of the late Lester and Nora Arthur. He is survived by his spouse, Evelyn, and his three children, Pamela Townsend, Steven Arthur, and David Arthur. He is also survived by his seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Ron grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri, helping on his parents’ dairy farm. He had one brother, Don Arthur, and two sisters, Evelyn Wyatt Wooliver and Elma June Hill, all have preceded him in death.
In 1941, Ron joined the Navy, however, right before his military training was completed, Pearl Harbor was bombed. Ron was shipped out, immediately, to serve in World War II. He served on multiple ships, including the ship USS John Land, which was assigned from San Francisco, California to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the campaign to capture and occupy Saipan, June 15th to July 28th, 1944. During the bloody battle, Ron assisted in transporting Marines and supplies onto Saipan. During one of his transport missions, he was injured in a mortar attack while on the island. Not long after Ron recovered, he was discharged and returned home to Blue Springs, Missouri.
After returning from war, Ron began to date Evelyn Goin, and on February 6th, 1945 they married in Olathe, KS. This year they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.
In 1954-1955, they built a home in Raymore, Missouri where they raised their 3 children and Evelyn resides in the same home, today.
For many years Ron worked as a heavy equipment operator and belonged to the Operating Engineers Local 101 Union. After retiring, he and his wife ran a business selling topsoil, rock, and sand, which Ron delivered in his dump truck. Ron loved travel and adventure. Both, he and Evelyn had a pilot’s license, and they would often fly their Cessna plane out of Raymore to embark on a journey in the mountains. Ron also earned his scuba diving certification and enjoyed diving with his two sons, Steve and David. In the 1970’s Ron and Evelyn took a trip to Israel, to see the Holy Land, and in the 1980’s went to Brazil on a mission’s trip with other members of their church, Blue Ridge Bible Church. During this trip they helped start a community church. Ron loved Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and made him a daily part of his life. The generosity and compassion Ron had for others was truly genuine, and his humble spirit was another Christlike attribute that was cherished by those around him.
A visitation will be held at 1:30 pm, on Saturday, June 27, 2020 followed by a memorial service at 2:00 pm at Cullen Funeral Home, 612 W. Foxwood Dr, Raymore, Missouri, 64083. A private family burial will be held following services.
Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Raymore, Missouri 816-322-5278
