- Date Of Birth: November 10, 1943
- Date Of Death: November 10, 2019
- Spouse: Patti Thorne
- Resting Place: Anchorage
- City: Jacksonville
- State: Florida
Ron passed peacefully on his 76th birthday, at his home in Anchorage, Alaska, from complications of COPD. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, to George Wright Thorne and Ellen Cleo Crawford Thorne. The family moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 1956. He attended Central Junior High School and was in the last graduating class of Anchorage High School in 1961. He studied at Berklee School of Music in Boston and Alaska Methodist University in Anchorage.
Ron was a talented baseball player, artist, photographer, fisherman, and drummer. He met Patti Gay when both were members of the choir at Turnagain Methodist Church. They married on March 7, 1965. Ron and Patti loved to travel, especially to Hawaii and California. Ron worked for Preferred General Agency of Alaska as an insurance underwriter; sales manager and on-air personality for KJZZ-FM and KRKN-FM; sales manager for DB Music and Rajah. He taught private drum lessons, umpired Little League games, and led the kazoo band at the Providence Pulmonary Rehab Department. Ron was also a fixture on online jazz discussion boards, including one he operated, which expanded his circle of friends around the world. The family was very important to Ron. He loved being a husband, father, grandfather, and uncle.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Patti; their children, Terri Brister and husband, Steve, of Anchorage; Darren Thorne and wife, Brenda, of Canoga Park, California; Justin Thorne and wife, Rika, of Montrose, California; and grandchildren Cole Brister, Jenna Brister, Reed Thorne, Sophie Thorne, and Kai Thorne. He was preceded in death by his parents.
