Ramona Tinnell

Ramona Darlene Tinnell, beloved wife, mother, sister, and grandmother, passed away on December 18, 2022 in Salem, OR following a long battle with heart and kidney failure. Ramona was born on October 10, 1935 in Longview, TX to Crawford Thompson Leach and Meddie Sylvania Leach.

Ramona lost her mother to tuberculosis at the age of 3 and was raised by her maternal grandparents Elvin Love Goin and James Etta Goin. Her grandmother and grandfather had retired and were living on a fixed income but welcomed Ramona, her sister Myra, and brother Garnet into their home and lives with loving arms. They never had much money but had tons of love and care. She referred to them as “Mama” and “Papa” and, in her mind, they were her real parents. Ramona recalled that they raised chickens and a cow, grew a big garden, canned and froze for the winter, and did what they had to in order to make it through the depression. One of her favorite stories was how her Papa worked at a defense factory during WW2 and could purchase 1 chocolate bar a month. Her Christmas present that year was a shoebox full of chocolate bars. She was the envy of the other kids at school who couldn’t obtain chocolate during the war and she said that was the best Christmas present ever.

When she was 13, the family moved from Texas to Portales, NM. After graduating from Portales HS in 1954, Ramona worked several jobs to help support the family and pay for school. She attended Eastern New Mexico University while also working full time at a bank. Ramona graduated from Eastern with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education which would become her lifelong career. She began her teaching career in Roswell, NM teaching elementary school.

While living in New Mexico, she met the love of her life, Bob Tinnell in 1961 during a dinner party at her friend Peggy’s house. Bob was a high school physics and physical science teacher which was a great fit for Ramona. She and Bob were married June 2, 1962 in Portales, NM. The two lived and taught in Tularosa for an additional two years before moving to Salem, OR in 1964. In Salem, Bob and Ramona continued their teaching careers and started a family. The couple welcomed their first son, Robert Bruce Tinnell, into the world on November 21, 1967, and their second son, Ronald Steven Tinnell, on March 26, 1970. Bob and Ramona loved and adored their children, and the two never passed up an opportunity to go hiking, camping, or fishing with their boys. Ramona remarked several times that she was happy she had boys because she loved to do all of the outdoor activities that they loved to do.

Ramona taught third grade at Morningside Elementary school until her oldest son Rob was born in 1967. She then took a break and stayed home with the boys until they were old enough to attend school. She returned to teaching in the late 1970’s teaching kids who were wards of the court in a self-contained classroom at North Salem HS. She found this rewarding and was a wonderful mentor for these troubled kids. Many contacted her years later just to thank her and let her know how they were doing and that they had gone on to make it in life. Late in her career, she returned to her first passion: elementary school. She finished her career at Kennedey Elementary School in Keizer teaching third grade. Ramona loved the little children that she taught and she was an exceptional teacher. Her son Rob (inspired by Ramona and Bob) transitioned from an engineering career to teaching HS Science, Engineering, and Physics and began his own teaching career at North Salem HS one year after she and Bob retired in 1994.

Bob and Ramona took immediate advantage of their retirement by purchasing a trailer and traveling to all 49 continental states twice, embarking on numerous ocean and river cruises, and traveling to countries all around the world. During this time, Bob and Ramona were blessed with two grandchildren – Benjamin David Tinnell, born June 20, 1996, and Joseph Robert Tinnell, born January 23, 2000 – by their son Robert and his wife Dianna Kay Tinnell. Bob and Ramona were very involved and loving grandparents, and always found great joy in attending their grandchildren’s sporting and robotics events.

Even during her retirement, Ramona was never one to waste a day. She raised a garden, canned and froze enough food for the Army in winter time, went fishing, camping, and took trips to Sunriver and Arizona with Bob, her children, and grandchildren. She was an involved member of DAR and an avid quilter. She and her sister Myra wrote a book of the stories that her Grandfather used to tell by the fireside called, “Papa Says.”

Ramona was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years Bob who passed on November 3, 2022 and her brother Garnet Odell Leach who passed in 1982. She is survived by her sister Myra Vogel, her sons Robert Bruce Tinnell and Ronald Steven Tinnell, and her grandsons Benjamin David Tinnell and Joseph Robert Tinnell.

Ramona’s memorial service is open to the public and will be held on January 21 at 2:00 pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church in South Salem. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Anna Maria Pittman DAR Chapter, the Marion Polk Food Share, the Salvation Army, or Westminster Presbyterian Church.

The service will also be streamed online at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUnovqndQJ4