Ronald Carl Rocheleau

Ron Rocheleau passed away at Newport Beach Memory Care on August 31st, 2022 at the age of 77.

Ron was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 8th, 1945. He was excitedly welcomed into the family by his parents George and Ruth Rocheleau and his two siblings George and Ginger. He loved to play in the snow and once jumped from the garage roof because he knew he could fly. When Ron was 5, his family relocated to Southern California, where he resided for the entirety of his life.

As a young boy and throughout his adulthood, his sister Ginger always referred to him as “gentle giant”. He never needed to be the center of attention and was always there to offer love and support to his family and friends. He loved his nieces and nephews. He always had the warmest smile and a passion for exciting adventures. Some of those adventures included skydiving, skiing and exploring exotic places.

Ron was only 10 when his mother passed away. His older brother George was in the Marines during this time which left Ron and Ginger to pick up their mom’s responsibilities at home. They had to grow up fast and this brought them closer to each other than ever.

After high school, Ron served in the Air Force and received an electronic AS degree at Long Beach City College. He then started to work at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard as an electrical planner supervisor where he remained for 25 years until the shipyard closed. He then worked for the FAA at LAX as an electrician for the runways until he retired in 2006.

Ron married the love of his life, Tammara Palmer, in 1968. Together they had two daughters, Connie Lynn Rocheleau and Bridget Jean Rocheleau. They were married for 35 years until Tammara passed away from cancer at the age of 52. Ron never remarried.

Ron loved the outdoors and adventure. One of his favorite things was camping and hiking. He attempted to hike Mt. Whitney three times before finally reaching the summit with his daughter Bridget on his fourth attempt. His first trip up, he hiked with his wife Tammy and daughter Bridget. Tammy had a seizure at 12,000 ft where she had to be hiked to flat ground so a helicopter could land and take her to the hospital, all while a thunder hailstorm was happening. Ron and his daughter stayed back so they could hike back out the next day. He even hiked Machu Picchu and was referred to as “Spidey Man” by local hikers. Ron also loved Tahiti and snow skiing in New Zealand. He traveled to Europe and Egypt with his wife as well as taking her to Hawaii with her mom, his mother-in-law, Barber Palmer. He loved sharing his travel stories with family and friends. His all time favorite thing to do was ski with his friends, children and his grandchildren Andrew Alton, Cole Smith and Skylar Smith. He enjoyed music and always had it blasting while working in the garage rebuilding his cars. His favorite was his 1964 Chevy Impala and his 1968 Ford truck. He loved to laugh, he laughed especially hard when someone farted, and had a dry sense of humor at times.

Education was very important to Ron. He wanted his children and grandchildren to succeed and be able to take care of themselves. He would be very proud to know that his surviving grandson Andrew became a lawyer and his other grandson Cole became a registered nurse.

Ron suffered a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, more than most for 14 years. May he rest in peace now. Alzheimer’s disease does not discriminate. Ron Rocheleau is survived by his sister Ginger Emry, his daughter Bridget Jean Smith, his two grandsons Cole Smith and Andrew Alton, and his great-grandson Gavin Alton. Ron is preceded in death by his wife Tammara Rocheleau, his brother George Rocheleau, his daughter Connie Rocheleau, and his granddaughter Skylar Jean Smith.

A funeral mass for Ronald will be held Friday, September 23, 2022 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 14072 Olive St, Westminster, CA 92683. Following the funeral mass will be an interment from 1:45 PM to 2:30 PM at Good Shepherd Cemetery, 8301 Talbert Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.dimondshannonmortuary.com for the Rocheleau family.