Ronald William Blackburn was born in Port Clinton, Ohio on August 15, 1934, the son of Douglas C. Blackburn, and Beverly Blackburn Riedmaier and stepfather, Harold (Whitey) Riedmaier, who all preceded him in death.

Ron passed away after a brief illness on December 5, 2014. He is survived by his beloved wife, Essie, who he married on December 25, 1982, their children, Becky (Gary) Quisno, David (Sharon) Blackburn, Douglas (Tami) Blackburn, Robin (Don Greenberg) Sandenburgh, Polly (Ged) Foley, Sally (John) Thomason; Grandchildren Adam (Kristin) Quisno, Mandy (Ian) Formaz, Annie Quisno, Benjamin (Sonia) Blackburn, Bailie, Breezie and Katie Blackburn, Drew and Farin Blackburn, Jamie, Elizabeth and Jake Greenberg, and Clare Foley, and three great grandchildren, Alexis, Sabrina and Emma Blackburn. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Nancy; Essie and Ron's son, Eric Sandenburgh, and his parents.

Ron grew up in Port Clinton, Ohio, where he graduated from Port Clinton High School in 1952. He attended college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from which he graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 1956. While at Miami, he met and married Nancy Cummins in 1955, and they were married for 24 years, until she passed away in July of 1979. On December 25, 1982 he married Essie Sandenburgh, and she survives. Together, Ron and Essie continued to raise their families, traveled extensively, and eventually settled in the Bellaire, Michigan area, where they could ski in the winter, golf in the summer, and just enjoy the beauty of Northwest Lower Michigan. In his free time, Ron was an accomplished artist, filling his and Essie's home with many of his paintings. He loved to read, loved the Detroit Tigers AND the Lions, loved liver and onions, and remained an Ohio State fan. Mostly, though, he loved hanging out with his Beauty, Essie.

His contributions to the communities he lived in are numerous, of both his time and talents. He was a Past President of the Port Clinton City School District Board of Education, a member of the Port Clinton Yacht Club, the Catawba Island Club, served on the board of the Grass River Natural Area in Bellaire Michigan. These are but a handful of his many activities.

Memorial contributions in Ron's memory can be made to the Munson Hospice House in Traverse City Michigan by going to their website: www.munsonhomehealth.org/hospicehouse , or to the Grass River Natural Area, Inc, at P.O. Box 231, Bellaire Michigan, or you can visit their website to contribute, at www.grassriver.org

A memorial service for the family is being planned at a later date.

Arrangements for the family have been entrusted to Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.