Ronald W. Pringle, 69, passed away Aug. 12, 2019, at his home in West Plains.
He was born Oct. 15, 1949, in Ash Grove, Mo. to Bill and Ann Pringle. Ron came to know Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized as a young person. He graduated from Lebanon High School in 1967 and Southwest Missouri State College in 1971.
Having been smitten with the mountains on a college ski trip, he pursued his dream to move to Colorado and landed a banking job in Denver. There he met and married Mary. They later moved to Montrose, Colo., where he continued his banking career.
In the following years, he experienced some of the greatest joys of his life — the birth of his three children, hiking and fishing with friends and his father-in-law and using his gifts in music. In 1992, the family moved to West Plains, Mo., where he took a position at West Plains Bank and worked there until his retirement in 2009.
He served in children’s ministry at First Baptist Church and played the piano with a gospel quartet. He was an avid supporter of Christian education, enrolling his children in Christian schools and later after his retirement teaching math and science at Faith Assembly Christian Academy and Ozarks Christian Academy. He cultivated his yard into a fruitful, blooming oasis.
Following in his dad’s footsteps, he did a lot of work with genealogy, helping his family and many others find out more about their ancestors. Ron was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2014 but remained active as long as possible and maintained a positive attitude even as the disease weakened his muscles over the next five years.
He enjoyed visiting Albania to see his daughter and son-in-law three times. He was privileged to spend time with Mary back in Colorado, to attend the weddings of his children and to have time with his grandchildren.
Ron was a generous giver and a fountain of knowledge and wisdom. He was a steady and faithful rock for his family, pointing them to the Lord through his example. He is survived by son Aaron (Kimberly) Pringle, West Plains; son Gregory (Tiffany) Pringle, Nixa; and daughter Sarah (Ermal) Lushi, Peshkopi, Albania; his grandchildren; sister Terry (John) Wright, Springfield; sister Paula (John) Fisher, Walnut Grove; several nieces and nephews, and many friends.
Ron is preceded in death by his parents and parents-in-law.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, at First Baptist Church, West Plains, under the direction of Yarber Mortuary. The family will receive their friends at 10 a.m. until service time. Burial will be at a later date in Colorado. Condolences may be expressed at www.yarbermortuary.com.
