Ronald Lorenz

Ron was born on January 24, 1943, to George and Bernice Lorenz in Worthington, Minnesota, where he grew up climbing fences with his siblings, playing ball with neighbors, walking beans, milking cows, throwing hay bales and running field lanes to get in shape for wrestling.

As a high school senior, Ron grappled his way to the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Tournament where, at 127 pounds with an undefeated season, he took home the title of champion. He would go on to clinch another championship at the 1962 National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament. Decades later, in 1992, he was inducted into the Worthington Senior High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

But before he graduated with the class of ‘61 from Worthington Senior High, Ron asked the cute blonde from his math class, Pat Dunn, on a date. She said yes, and he picked her up in his ‘50 Chevy to take her out bowling. A year and a half later, on August 19, 1962, Ron and Pat were wed and began what would become 61 years of marriage together.

In 1965, Ron graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business Administration. He began work in the right of way division of the Federal Highway Administration. Ron was known for his compassion while working with owners who were losing their property due to eminent domain. In his role, he moved to several cities including Helena, Montana; Bismarck, North Dakota; and Lakewood, Colorado.

In Lakewood, Ron and Pat nurtured deep roots in the community and raised their beloved children, Terri and Tony, to adulthood. A strong family man, Ron attended many musical performances and coached youth soccer and wrestling. He was a member of Atonement Lutheran Church for 48 years and served there as president and chairman of the building committee.

Ron retired from the Department of Transportation in 1997 after 32 years of service. But he “flunked retirement” and returned to work in 2000, this time in the private sector, as a consultant with H.C. Peck & Associates. As vice president of the acquisition/right of way management team, Ron delivered dozens of projects for H.C. Peck clients, including the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Regional Transportation District, the city and county of Denver, the cities of Brighton, Arvada and more. He remained involved with H.C. Peck part time until recently.

As his family grew, Ron became a treasured grandfather, playful prankster and avid spectator at the sporting events of his “perfect grandchildren.” With Pat, he enjoyed international travel to Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He also kept strong ties to his Minnesota agricultural roots as a landowner and farming partner with his brother, Joel. He enjoyed returning to Worthington and participating in harvest each fall.

Ron is survived by his wife, Patricia Lorenz; daughter Terri Saeed (Q); son, Tony Lorenz (Rachel); grandchildren, Shane Saeed, Dylan Dornan (Jonathan), Mason Saeed, Reid Lorenz and Evalyn Lorenz; brothers, David Lorenz (Kathy) and Joel Lorenz (Julie); and sisters, Annette Ebeling and Joanne LaFevre (Dave). He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Bernice Lorenz; infant brother, Stanley Lorenz; and brother-in-law, Ronald Ebeling.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 29, 2024, at Atonement Lutheran Church, 6281 W. Yale Ave., Lakewood, Colorado, followed by a brief committal ceremony in the church’s columbarium garden. After the ceremony, all memorial guests are invited for light refreshments at Advantage Runyan Stevenson Chapel, 6425 W. Alameda Ave., Lakewood, Colorado.

The family requests that any memorial donations be made to Atonement Lutheran Church, 6281 W. Yale Ave., Lakewood, Colorado, www.atonementlakewood.org/give; or Lutheran Collier Hospice, 3210 Lutheran Parkway, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, www.supportlutheran.org.