Ronald Ray Titus

Ron spent his early years living on a large grape ranch in Fresno County that his father managed. Ron would pal around with the hired ranch hands. This may have been the beginning of his shenanigans and where his funny side began to take shape.

At a young age Ron took 6 months of piano lessons. In this short amount of time, Ron learned how to read music and was able to then continue learning on his own. They found he was naturally gifted and could play by ear.

At age 11, Ron volunteered to play for a little church in Earlimart, California that did not have a pianist. Every Sunday morning he would ride his bike to the little church and spend the whole day with the pastor so he could to play for the night service as well. He remembered after the evening services it would be dark and scary, so he would take a shortcut through the fields, riding as fast as he could go trying to outride the large vineyard guard dogs. His love for music and playing for this little church kept him going week after week regardless of the scary ride home.

Ron went to Clovis High School where he was involved in several musicals and played the piano for school events. He also played for a singing group that he and his friends formed. His 4 closest friends were Tom Johnson, Dick, Bill, and Gerald Tatham. These five boys were known at Clovis High for their tricks and jokes they played on the teachers and other classmates. After graduation, Ron decided to go to school to become an electrician.

Ron met Shirley for the first time at a New Year’s Eve service at Calvary Tabernacle on December 31, 1950. He was hanging out with his best buddies at the front of the church, when Shirley and her sister, Fon, walked in. They dated now and then for a couple of years and were then married on October 9, 1954 at Calvary Tabernacle.

In the early years of marriage, Ron was asked to join and play for a well-known traveling evangelist. They considered buying a house trailer and traveling with the team, but with God’s guidance they turned it down. When Ron began having back problems an orthopedic doctor said that he would need to change careers or he could end up being an invalid. With music in mind, he decided to go to school to become a mortician and play the organ for the funeral services. A few months into school, Dan, their oldest son got a life-threatening sickness that took a lot of time and devotion, so they closed the door on that path and he went back to electrical work.

Ron had a heart for God and was a devoted husband and father. Church was a weekly family event, attending 3 times a a week, and nightly during revival weeks. Ron played for the church services, and many Sunday afternoons he entertained at rest homes. When their boys entered junior high they volunteered to be the junior high leaders along with Tom and Betty Johnson. With 20-25 kids in the group, besides doing the services, they set up events such as the annual Santa Cruz beach trip and Bass Lake retreat.

The Titus home was a place to go for neighborhood fun. With their home having some acreage at the back, Ron had cleared it over the years for different activities. At one point it was a baseball diamond, at another there was an underground fort, and then another it was a dirt bike course. He also built a large slot car racetrack on the patio for all the neighborhood kids to race their cars. You can see why there were always kids at the Titus home.

Family favorite activities consisted of camping and beach trips with the Johnson family. After moving into a house with a pool their backyard was home to many bbq swim parties. Ron then purchased a ski boat for the family and friends to enjoy. They would take it up to Millerton Lake on evenings after school, and on weekends.

When the boys got married, Ron opened up, not only his home, but also his heart to his daughters-in-law: Lynnette, Becky and Renee. Then came the grandkids: Deborah, Brianna, Mandie, Danielle, Michael, Marissa and Ari - Six grand daughters and one grandson. Ron’s devotion to family continued as he loved family activities such as, grandkid swim lessons in the pool, more barbecue/swim parties, he and Dave teaching the grandkids to waterski, the annual winter Balch cabin trip at Donner Lake including a day of ice skating and a day of skiing. And two amazing Mexican Riviera cruises for the entire family! Family time and events continued with each new addition of his great grandchildren. Sadie. Rodey. Gemma. Jasper. Sophie. Logan. Ira. He loved them all.

Ron’s organ playing expanded, and he became known as a very fine musician with his own special touch that many people appreciated. He knew hundreds of hymns and popular songs by heart. He played for every church he attended, hundreds of weddings and funerals, sports and political events. He played for 15 years at Pizza and Pipes. After the dinner crowd where he would take many song requests, things would quiet down and he would continue to play whatever came to mind, sometimes while reading a book. He played for the Fresno Falcons hockey team for several years. Still the jokester, he would play “Three Blind Mice” every time the officials came out on the ice. For more than 25 years, he played for the Fresno City College graduations. He also played many events and concerts at the Warner Theater and other theater organs throughout the Valley.

After retiring as an electrician he decided to work part time for Stephens & Bean funeral home. It’s been said he would have worked there for free because he loved it so much. Ron golfed at least once a week with a group of his friends. He loved attending the Men’s Bible Study and the Men’s Breakfasts at Peoples’ Church. Ron loved to travel, going on many domestic and overseas trips. The cruise ships were a favorite.

Whenever a need arose, Ron served his family, his friends and his church, and also volunteered his time for many individuals and charities. He loved to give to missionaries and people in need. Money was never important to him. It was more about giving it away.

Ron loved sweets, new socks, golf and travel, but most of all he loved PEOPLE. And people loved him. He was especially known for his famous “one-liners” and jokes for every occasion.

After many years of fighting bladder cancer without a word of complaint, Ron passed away on May 5, 2023 with many family members at his side.

We will miss you Ron. Dad. Papa. But we will see you again.

A Celebration of of Life for Ron will be held Saturday, June 3, 2023, 10:00 am at the G.L. Johnson Chapel at Peoples Church.

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