Obituary for Ronald L Valyko
Ronald L. Valyko, 78, passed away Dec. 7, 2020, at Lake Health West Medical Center in Willoughby.
Ron was born July 19, 1942, in Cleveland, and with the exception of a short stint as a Floridian, spent most of his life in Northeast Ohio.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Maureen A. (nee Murphy) Valyko; mother-in-law, Lorraine A. Murphy; daughter, Carla (Chris) Ronnebaum of Lyndhurst; and son, Eric (Amanda) Valyko of Milford, Mich. Ron was known as “Opa” to four sweet grandchildren, Jackson, Clare, Maren, and Aiden. In addition, Ron had a warm relationship with his sister-in-law, Donna Valyko; and great affection for his many nieces and nephews: Lori, Lisa, Kelly, Brian, Rick, Moira, Annie, Dave, Matt, Kelly, and Patrick.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Gunther “Jack” and Frida Valyko; brother, Werner “Sonny” Valyko; and his father-in-law, James P. Murphy.
Ronald was a proud alumnus of St. Joe’s. Go Vikings! He honorably served in the military from 1962 to 1964, where he earned a badge for sharpshooting. He often regaled his family with stories about his time in the Army – mostly about how terrible the food was.
According to his wife, a particular highlight of Ron’s life was meeting her… Maureen Murphy, an Irish girl, who by strange luck, found bald guys attractive. They married August 28, 1981. Ron was a man of faith who was a member of and proudly served as a Eucharist Minister at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Mentor.
He worked as an accountant at Mill Distributors, Inc. for the majority of his career, retiring in 2011. In retirement, Ron spent much of his time listening to classical music and reading religious books.
Over the last several years, Ron’s health deteriorated. Prior to his health struggles, Ron was the warmest and most generous person you could meet. He would eagerly greet every person he met with a warm “bear hug” and a kiss, whether this was his first time meeting you or if he saw you every day.
He would spend every Saturday and Sunday puttering around the house, mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, and blasting Julio Iglesias and Roger Whitaker until his children awoke around noon. In his younger days, he wowed crowds as he was the first one on the dance floor at family weddings. A true music connoisseur, he loved the “classics” and had particularly strong moves during Y.M.C.A. and The Chicken Dance. He was light on his feet for a man of his stature.
His favorite drink was a scotch on the rocks and you could always count on him for requesting “just one more.” On really hot days he would request a really cold beer – with ice. A drink could never have enough ice. Conversely, food could never be too hot. He loved homemade meals where you could see the steam rising from the plate. He always asked for a second helping while simultaneously telling the other guests at the table how full he was.
He didn’t take fashion cues from anyone. Comfort was paramount to Ron. No matter the time of year, you could find him in joggers, socks, and sandals. Snow be damned; Ronny will show up in shorts and will make you question the turtleneck you are wearing.
While Ron was a devout Catholic, he also enjoyed the lights, sounds, blinking, and flashing of slot machines. He very much looked forward to spending time and money at casinos, positioned next to similar seniors trying to hit it big. On several occasions, Ron was very lucky and the bells rang loudly when three diamonds appeared on the screen.
He was an incredible storyteller interchanging and embellishing details depending on who he was talking to at the moment. Ron was also eager to hear about every interesting aspect of others lives, asking repeatedly for specifics or for you to retell the story so he didn’t miss a detail.
Of all life’s accomplishments, Ron was most proud of his family. No matter how great or small the feat, he would continuously brag about his children to anyone who would listen – even if the accomplishments happened years and years ago. Did you know that Eric completed an Ironman triathlon? Or that Carly was homecoming queen? Did you know that Carly received a promotion? Or that Eric bought a new house? You could have been passing him by on the street and he would find a way to weave his family into the conversation.
His pride extended beyond his own children. Upon meeting his son-in-law, Chris, and his daughter-in-law, Amanda, he immediately sported attire from their alma maters. He proudly wore an Indiana University t-shirt and discussed Bobby Knight at nauseum with Chris. And as soon as he met Amanda, he started wearing University of Michigan sweats and pretended he never rooted for Ohio State.
The family is very grateful that his health struggles are behind him and Ron is finally at peace. They are appreciative for all the love and support friends and family have shown their family over the years.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made in Ron’s honor to organizations that mean so much to his grandchildren. If you are considering a donation, you can support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in support of Jackson Valyko at https://rb.gy/x6fyq3 or The Cure Starts Now in support of Clare Ronnebaum at https://rb.gy/85wndj.
In light of limitations due to COVID-19, a private memorial will be held for family.
Arrangements are entrusted to McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Homes in Willoughby and Mentor.
To leave condolences for the family, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.
Ron was born July 19, 1942, in Cleveland, and with the exception of a short stint as a Floridian, spent most of his life in Northeast Ohio.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Maureen A. (nee Murphy) Valyko; mother-in-law, Lorraine A. Murphy; daughter, Carla (Chris) Ronnebaum of Lyndhurst; and son, Eric (Amanda) Valyko of Milford, Mich. Ron was known as “Opa” to four sweet grandchildren, Jackson, Clare, Maren, and Aiden. In addition, Ron had a warm relationship with his sister-in-law, Donna Valyko; and great affection for his many nieces and nephews: Lori, Lisa, Kelly, Brian, Rick, Moira, Annie, Dave, Matt, Kelly, and Patrick.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Gunther “Jack” and Frida Valyko; brother, Werner “Sonny” Valyko; and his father-in-law, James P. Murphy.
Ronald was a proud alumnus of St. Joe’s. Go Vikings! He honorably served in the military from 1962 to 1964, where he earned a badge for sharpshooting. He often regaled his family with stories about his time in the Army – mostly about how terrible the food was.
According to his wife, a particular highlight of Ron’s life was meeting her… Maureen Murphy, an Irish girl, who by strange luck, found bald guys attractive. They married August 28, 1981. Ron was a man of faith who was a member of and proudly served as a Eucharist Minister at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Mentor.
He worked as an accountant at Mill Distributors, Inc. for the majority of his career, retiring in 2011. In retirement, Ron spent much of his time listening to classical music and reading religious books.
Over the last several years, Ron’s health deteriorated. Prior to his health struggles, Ron was the warmest and most generous person you could meet. He would eagerly greet every person he met with a warm “bear hug” and a kiss, whether this was his first time meeting you or if he saw you every day.
He would spend every Saturday and Sunday puttering around the house, mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, and blasting Julio Iglesias and Roger Whitaker until his children awoke around noon. In his younger days, he wowed crowds as he was the first one on the dance floor at family weddings. A true music connoisseur, he loved the “classics” and had particularly strong moves during Y.M.C.A. and The Chicken Dance. He was light on his feet for a man of his stature.
His favorite drink was a scotch on the rocks and you could always count on him for requesting “just one more.” On really hot days he would request a really cold beer – with ice. A drink could never have enough ice. Conversely, food could never be too hot. He loved homemade meals where you could see the steam rising from the plate. He always asked for a second helping while simultaneously telling the other guests at the table how full he was.
He didn’t take fashion cues from anyone. Comfort was paramount to Ron. No matter the time of year, you could find him in joggers, socks, and sandals. Snow be damned; Ronny will show up in shorts and will make you question the turtleneck you are wearing.
While Ron was a devout Catholic, he also enjoyed the lights, sounds, blinking, and flashing of slot machines. He very much looked forward to spending time and money at casinos, positioned next to similar seniors trying to hit it big. On several occasions, Ron was very lucky and the bells rang loudly when three diamonds appeared on the screen.
He was an incredible storyteller interchanging and embellishing details depending on who he was talking to at the moment. Ron was also eager to hear about every interesting aspect of others lives, asking repeatedly for specifics or for you to retell the story so he didn’t miss a detail.
Of all life’s accomplishments, Ron was most proud of his family. No matter how great or small the feat, he would continuously brag about his children to anyone who would listen – even if the accomplishments happened years and years ago. Did you know that Eric completed an Ironman triathlon? Or that Carly was homecoming queen? Did you know that Carly received a promotion? Or that Eric bought a new house? You could have been passing him by on the street and he would find a way to weave his family into the conversation.
His pride extended beyond his own children. Upon meeting his son-in-law, Chris, and his daughter-in-law, Amanda, he immediately sported attire from their alma maters. He proudly wore an Indiana University t-shirt and discussed Bobby Knight at nauseum with Chris. And as soon as he met Amanda, he started wearing University of Michigan sweats and pretended he never rooted for Ohio State.
The family is very grateful that his health struggles are behind him and Ron is finally at peace. They are appreciative for all the love and support friends and family have shown their family over the years.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made in Ron’s honor to organizations that mean so much to his grandchildren. If you are considering a donation, you can support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in support of Jackson Valyko at https://rb.gy/x6fyq3 or The Cure Starts Now in support of Clare Ronnebaum at https://rb.gy/85wndj.
In light of limitations due to COVID-19, a private memorial will be held for family.
Arrangements are entrusted to McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Homes in Willoughby and Mentor.
To leave condolences for the family, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.