Ronald B. Willis

Ronald Berry Willis, 77, died in a vehicle accident on August 18, 2021. On February 28, 1944, Ron was born to Richard and Ruth (Larson) Willis in Des Moines, IA. The first of 3 children. He lived his entire life in the Des Moines area. He graduated from Des Moines Technical High School in 1962, where he was an active member of the swim team and very involved in boy scouts, attaining the high honor of eagle scout. His family vacationed at their family cabin at the 10-mile lake in Minnesota each summer, and Ron and his siblings enjoyed water skiing, fishing, and spending time on the lake. One time he swam from the north shore to the south shore of the lake. Ron later attended Iowa State University.

During a Thanksgiving break at Iowa State, he married Judith Burch. They had two daughters Lori and Renee. Ron left school to join his father working full-time at Iowa Bowling and Billiard Supply, where he worked up until he retired and the business closed in 2005. He was very proud of his business, and at one time, his sister worked alongside him and his dad. He was a true salesman and enjoyed talking and visiting with people. Networking was his passion. He enjoyed bowling and all aspects of the business. He was an entrepreneur as he dabbled in Aquapure, a water purification company, with his brother. Ron was very close with his siblings throughout his life.

Ron enjoyed golf, and he and his brother had a set Sunday morning tee time that they kept for years. After Ron retired and closed Iowa Bowling, he later worked for Mueller sports in Clive, Iowa, where he put his many years of experience and knowledge to continued use. Ron could be seen at the Varied Industries building at the State Fair over the years. He was always in his element, talking to anyone as communication and sales were where he was most comfortable.

After divorcing, he met and married Margaret (Howe) Willis. They married in June of 1992. Ron and Mickie shared a love of country music, dancing, socializing, trips to the gulf coast, time with friends, and their beloved dogs. Ron was faithful about taking their pets for drives around the “block” (30 minutes at least) on a nightly basis. Over the years, they have had many special furry family members.

Ron is preceded in death by his parents and his daughter Lori. Left to cherish his memories are his wife Mickie; daughter, Renee Aker (Jason); stepdaughter, Kelly Hoover (Mark); stepson, Brad Howe (Laura), brother Marty (Liz); sister, Karen Filby; grandchildren, nieces. nephews, & his loyal companions, Gibbs and Remington.