Ronald H. Nagel, 79, of The Villages, Florida passed away peacefully on February 3rd with family at his side. Ron was born in Teaneck, NJ in 1941 and grew up on a 200-acre dairy farm in Hamden, NY. Ron graduated high school in 1958 in Walton NY and later met the love of his life Audrey in Walton, NY where the two were married in 1963.
As a teenager, Ron started his professional career as a TeamsterⓇ truck driver. He took his commitment to his career as a truck driver very seriously and blended it with his joy of competition by participating in truck driving rodeos where the demands of written exams, safety inspections, and precision driving skills all accumulated to a final score. As a fierce competitor, Ron achieved first place in the NYS Truck Driving Championship 10 times. His most proud achievement in truck rodeo was receiving the prestigious National Sonthemier award in 1988 from the American Trucking Association.
Ron was a Member of NYS Truck Safety Council. In his spare time Ron loved being outdoors, playing music, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends. He enjoyed playing the accordion and being a member of several praise bands.
Ron was a kind and doting husband to his wife, Audrey for 57 years. In addition to his wife, he is also survived by his children: son – Ronald, spouse Erin, and grandchildren Kyle and Jordan; daughter – Cinthia, husband Tom, and grandchildren Derek and Alicia; and son – Jeffrey. Ron was predeceased by his parents John (Jack) and Veronica Nagel and his brother John.
As in all of Ron’s life experiences, he managed his illness with courage, strength and grace. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. A private prayer memorial for the family was held on February 18th. Two future celebration of life memorial services will be held in The Villages, Florida and Ulster County, NY when it is safe to do so.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Ronald’s honor to any one of the following animal shelters:
- Your Humane Society SPCA of Sumter County 994 CR 529A Lake Panasoffkee, FL 33538 (352) 793-9117 yhsspca.org info@hsspca.org
- Take Me Home Pet Rescue PO Box 490 Milton, NY 12541 tmhpetrescue.com
- Heart of the Catskills Humane Society PO Box 88 Delhi, NY 13753 (607) 746-3080 heartofthecatskills.org
To contact the family directly call (561) 578-1444 or jdnagel71@yahoo.com.
