Ronald H. Roberts (North Cascades ’57)
Posted: September 14, 2026
Ron, 92, died August 19, 2026. He was born February 8, 1934, in Okanogan, WA to Herschel and Katherine Roberts. The family had a homestead in the mountains nearby where Ron loved to spend time at for decades, working and enjoying the outdoors. After graduating high school, he served in the 82nd Airborne. Ron tried out for the rifle team and made All-Army Rifle Team, shooting at competitions in Camp Perry and winning awards and attaining Master Class.
After the army Ron went to Wenatchee Valley College where he played football. Ron jumped at North Cascades 1957-58 and proudly carried the title of smokejumper his whole life. In 1967, an opportunity came along to buy a ranch up north near Clayton, WA. He and his wife Vicki established the Lazy R Ranch on 97 acres of woods, creeks, and fields, with an old house and barns.
They worked the place, raised livestock, survived the winters, and raised a family in the most Norman Rockwell way you can imagine. Gathering firewood in the old farm truck, plowing snow with the big ol’ John Deere tractor, riding horses, hunting, fishing, it was the real deal. Ron played Dixieland jazz quite well and was in various bands his whole life.
They sold the ranch in 2016 and moved to the Deer Park Golf course. Ron became a known fixture on the course, not only golfing every day, but telling his jokes on the course and in the clubhouse, and every evening at sundown, he played taps on his trumpet for the course to hear.
