Ronald Anthony Whiteman, born in Agana Heights, Guam on May 17, 1945, passed from this life on July 12, 2024. He is survived by his daughters Beth Rang, Stephanie Roberts (David), and sons Scott Whiteman and Tom Mills (Audrey). He is also survived by grandsons Connor (Michelle) and Jake Roberts, and Will Rang. Ron was the oldest of seven children and is survived by his siblings, Paulette Hale (Bill), Jamison Whiteman (Pam), Kevin Whiteman (Natalie), Lita Esposito (Joe), John Whiteman (Kristin), and Buffy Boksanski (Pete), numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, as well as his uncles Herman Perez and David Perez, whom he was very close to. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years Judith Suzanne (Rogers) Whiteman, parents Paul and Elizabeth (Perez) Whiteman, and his parents-in-law William and Corinne Rogers.
Ron graduated from Washington High School in Fremont, California and escorted his lifetime sweetheart and wife, Judy Rogers, to high school dances. He was an athlete and a scholar. He pursued higher education and music, singing with his own band The Village Lords for Fantasy Records. He also sang as a studio musician for California groups like the Surfaris. One of his favorite memories of this time in his life was meeting the Beach Boys and bonding with the more shy and goodhearted Carl Wilson.
Ron served two tours in Vietnam with the US Marine Corps in the second half of the 1960s, where he was wounded in battle. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at New Mexico Highlands University juggling his wife, two little girls, work as a disc jockey, playing sports (lots of basketball), and the many lifetime friends he made. He earned a Master's degree from Arizona State University, but was an Arizona Wildcat at heart and was a diehard University of Arizona Basketball fan.
Life took a surprising turn when Ron started his teaching/coaching career at George Washington High School on Guam, the island where he’d been born and where he still had many family members. It was a perfect fit, and before long he began his life of being “Coach.” Over the years, he also taught and coached in Phoenix, Arizona, Grants, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona. The majority of his teaching and coaching career was spent at Salpointe Catholic High School, in Tucson, where he taught History, served as a guidance counselor, coached Varsity and JV football, cross country, track & field, and girls basketball. During his entire coaching career, he even coached volleyball for a few years! Ron enjoyed coaching at the Lute Olson Basketball Camps over the summers in the late 80s. He used sports to teach kids how to win in life.
In the late 80s and early 90s, Ron had his dream come true of traveling to Australia through the organization Sport for Understanding. There was nothing like combining his love of travel, sports and coaching, and through SFU he got to create lifelong friendships in Australia and the Netherlands.
Ron was always on the phone with friends and family, and visited them whenever he was able to. He cherished, cared for, and fostered all of the friendships that he made over the years.
A Rosary will be held at the small chapel at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church at 5:30pm on Friday, July 19, 2024. The funeral mass for Ron will be held in the main church building at St. Thomas at 10:30am Saturday, July 20, 2024. There will be a reception immediately following, in the church hall. Food and beverage will be served and there will be an opportunity to share a memory or two with everyone.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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