Ronald R. Routh

Ronald Ray Routh was born April 27, 1951 in North Kansas City, Missouri, and passed away on December 7, 2010. He was the youngest son of Clarence and Georgette Routh. Shortly after graduating from North Kansas City High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he completed Nuclear Power School and was assigned to the USS Sculpin. He decided to further his career in the Navy and in 1976 graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor s Degree in Mathematics. That same year he attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and was commissioned an Ensign. Ron had a distinguished twenty-one year career serving his country. While serving aboard the USS Jason, he was the first Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the history of the ship to earn the designation as a Surface Warfare Officer. Ron worked with developers on and became an instructor for the Tomahawk and Harpoon Cruise Missile systems. His last duty assignment was as the Executive Officer of the Cruise Missile Tactical Qualifications Team Pacific, but the duty station he loved the most was serving as the Missile Officer aboard the Battleship USS Missouri when she was recommissioned in 1986. In 1991 Ron retired from the Navy with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Moving with his family to Missouri, he put the Master s Degree in Forensic Sciences he had earned to use by joining the law enforcement community, first as a dispatcher for the City of Bolivar and later as a Deputy with the Polk County Sheriff s Office. One of his first assignments with the Sheriff s Department was overseeing the jail and inmates. He was known for treating everyone with dignity and respect. He was often approached by former inmates who expressed their appreciation for being treated so fairly. Ron s calm demeanor and levelheadedness served his departments and the citizens of Polk County well for 19 years. Ron loved computers and technology, and often spent hours on his workstations designing web pages, developing programs, and otherwise having fun. While serving in the Navy, Ron took the initiative to create a computer navigation program to guide ships through the Panama Canal where previously they had calculated it using maps and equations. This program is still used today. Ron leaves a loving family behind, including his beloved wife Vicky of Dunnegan; three daughters and their husbands, Ronnie and Bob Bell of Rogersville, Maida and Randy Russell of Springfield, and Carrie and Liam Wait of Marysville, CA; a son, Will Routh of Dunnegan; three grandsons, Alex, Michael, and Ethan; his mother, Georgette of Anderson, IN; his sister, Shirley Chapman of Anderson IN, and brother, Don Routh of Clinton; two uncles, two nephews, and two nieces. The friends mourning his loss span the globe. His death was preceded by that of his father, Clarence, and nephew Christopher. Memorial services conducted by Kevin Patterson and Billy Sampson will be at 4:00 PM Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at Murray Funeral Home, Bolivar. Visitation will be Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made the Missouri Deputy Sheriff s Association in care of Murray Funeral Home, 911 W. Broadway, Bolivar, MO 65613. PDF Printable Version

Ronald R. Routh

April 27, 1951 - December 7, 2010