Grant Cutri
Ron was always a man of few words, so in his honor I will try to be the same, that is keep this to just a few words.
Ron and I met about 45 years ago. We worked in same group at Duke Power. He was in the Mechanical Division of the Design Engineering Department. Valves and actuators were his specialty. We called ourselves The Valve Group. We called him "Tuck". While he wasn't our manger, "Tuck" was the Cornerstone of our group. He was always there with a welcome smile, a clever joke or words of encouragement. A coworker recently described him as unflappable. I had to look up the word. It means to be calm or relaxed, even in difficult situations. I think that shoe fits him pretty well.
Two simple memories of Ron come to mind.
Not too long ago, on one of the saddest moments of my life I was walking down the aisle of the family church, along with my family, for my father's funeral service As I glanced across the congregation I caught Ron's eye out of the crowd. How comforting it was to look across a sea of faces and then to see Ron's reassuring smile and a gentle nod of his head. He traveled a good bit to be there. It wasn't expected. It was good to see him. Another gesture by him that meant so much.
On a lighter note, rewind several years to a cold Winter day. Ron came to work one morning in shirt sleeves and no jacket. I was curious so i asked him why he wore no coat. He said the dog was sleeping on it and he didn't have the heart to have him move. That is the way Ron was. That's the way he was to everyone. Putting others first... and he loved his pups. I will miss my friend, Ron. I know many will too.
