Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ronald Herve ‘Ron’ Lafond, 78, known as the unofficial mayor at Autumn Hall

Ronald Herve ‘Ron’ Lafond

WILMINGTON — Ronald Herve “Ron” Lafond, 78, passed away Monday, March 23, 2020, from complications of pancreatic cancer at his home in Autumn Hall with family by his side.

He is survived by his wife, Ursula; daughter, Shari Thompson; son, Ron, and his husband, Mike; grandsons, Jackson and Alexander Thompson; brother, Lawrence, and his wife, Claudette, of Salem, New Hampshire; sister, Diane, and her husband, Bill O’Brien, of Hypoluxo, Florida; and several nieces and nephews.

Ron was born March 15, 1942, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and attended local schools before graduating from Lowell Technological Institute (now UMass-Lowell) in 1963 with a B.S. Degree in Industrial Management. He later received an MBA from Golden Gate University in 1974.

He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1964 and completed a 23-year aviation career that included flying C-130, C-141c and C5A aircraft as an aircrew navigator. From 1968 to 1969, he flew tactical airlift missions in Vietnam and received several Air Commendation medals. During this time flying in and out of the Vietnam theater, Ron met and began dating Ursula, and they married June 2, 1973, at Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California.

His last flying assignment was with the Blue Tail Flies of the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing, Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, in the early 1980s. He then completed several assignments at the Pentagon retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1987. His second career was spent working for the U.S. Army in aviation and acquisition positions as a contractor at the Pentagon and Huntsville, Alabama, supporting the Apache Attack Helicopter program.

Ron and his family moved to Wilmington in 2007 to be closer to their daughter and grandsons. He was heavily involved in Wilmington sports activities over the last 10 years, including Wilmington senior softball and YMCA basketball, and participated in two National Senior games in men’s softball receiving gold medals with his teams in 2011 and last year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ron served on several residential homeowners’ associations, including Autumn Hall, where he was known as “the unofficial mayor.” He also volunteered his time with the New Hanover Board of Elections for over 10 years as a precinct judge and one-stop voting official and worked for the New Hanover County tax office’s Board of Equalization and Review.

Given the unprecedented circumstances of these uncertain times, Wilmington Funeral & Cremation will post your condolences online at Wilmington Funeral & Cremation in lieu of a viewing. A memorial Mass will be held at St. Mark Catholic Church, Eastwood Road, Wilmington, at a later date. Interment with full military honors will be held in Arlington National Cemetery on a date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending memorial contributions to the following organizations that support causes that were dear to Ron: Fisherhouse.org — helping military families; Stjude.org — supporting children with advanced cancers and other medical needs; and ASPCA.org — supporting pets and animals.

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