Ronald Lee Downing, 81, of Wilmington, NC passed away on Sunday, December 31, 2023. Ron was born in Garrett, Indiana, on December 3, 1942, the son of Louie and Azelene Downing. He graduated from Elmhurst High School in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, in 1961. He then immediately joined the apprentice program at General Electric for Machinist-Toolmaker Training.
He saved his earnings to attend Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, in the fall of 1964, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. On August 27, 1966, Ron married his high school sweetheart, Barbara “nee Exner” Downing. In May of 1968, he graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Industrial Management. He was selected for General Electric’s Manufacturing Management Program, which began in Pittsfield, MA, in June of 1968 and continued in Hickory, NC, from 1969-1972. While in Hickory, he received his private pilot’s certificate in 1972. Ron’s first permanent assignment sent him and his family to Shreveport, LA, in GE’s Distribution Transformer Products Department, where he worked until 1979, when he accepted the Manager of Equipment Process Engineering position with GE’s Nuclear Energy Division in Wilmington, NC. In 1985, Ron was a member of the first graduating class from the Masters of Business Administration at UNC Wilmington.
During his time at GE Nuclear in Wilmington, projects included frequent travel to Japan, Germany, and Kazakhstan. He also was involved in the award of a patent for the invention of a uranium oxide container for transport. In 1997, Ron retired from his career with GE.
Ron enjoyed traveling, working out, kickboxing, and woodworking during his retirement. He loved driving his Corvette for multiple queens and princesses during many NC Azalea Festival parades. Ron was a Master Mason for 59 years, first with Waynedale Lodge #739 in Ft. Wayne, IN, and affiliating with the Wilmington Lodge #319 in 2017. Ron was also a Noble of Shriners International in the Sudan Shriners Club in Wilmington, NC. He became a member of Grace United Methodist Church in the early 1980s.
Ron is survived by his wife of 57 years, Barbara, their two children, son Tim (Brenda) Downing, DDS, and daughter Emily (David) Mallick, and his three grandchildren, LTJG Elizabeth Downing, USN, William Downing, and Heidi Mallick. He is also survived by his sister Mary Joanne Downing, Uncle Ray Ringger, Aunt Phyllis Messamore, Sister-in-law Susan Long, and many beloved cousins.
A memorial service will be held at Grace United Methodist Church, 401 Grace Street, Wilmington, NC, on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 1 pm. Memorial gifts may be made to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare at 1406 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401. The family is grateful to the doctors and nurses at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Lower Cape Fear LifeCare for their care and compassion.
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