Ronald Charles Futher

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180221306
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-160504
• Residence: 1961, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Former fire chief, treasurer, gave and gave for Wellesley community

Ronald Futher of Wellesley

Born: Nov. 11, 1934 in Baden

Died: Feb. 23, 2016 of cancer

The village of Wellesley's mayor, Joe Nowak, summed up Ron Futher in one sentence: "he was a prince of a man. I just loved that guy."

It seemed a lot of people felt similarly about Ron, former president of Futher Bros. Funeral Home and the village's retired fire chief. He was a guy who volunteered for just about everything: Lions Club, Board of Trade, cemetery committee and he co-founded a restoration project for Wellesley's vintage fire truck. He also served as the first treasurer when the village became incorporated in 1961. In 2010 he received the Wellesley Citizen of the Year award.

"He had his hands in everything," said son, David Futher. "He was very outgoing."

Ron reflected the village's personality perfectly. Wellesley has long prided itself on being a friendly sort of place, where a new neighbour would often be greeted with a fresh basket of baked goods. This closeness would be critical to Ron after his first wife, Mary Jane Lantz died in 1968, shortly after the birth of their third child.

As a young father of three small children including a baby, Ron relied heavily on help from family, particularly his widowed mother and his brothers, Jerome and Bill along with their wives. David remembers staying on weekends with the uncles and aunts, "to give Dad a bit of a break."

Weekdays the family was together, cared for with outside help from a Mennonite woman as well as a neighbour who became like a second mom to the kids.

"Everyone was very supportive of my dad," said David.

Daughter Mary Futher added tearfully, "He was the most special father, he was an inspiration for all his children. I don't know how we can ever live up to that standard."

In 1972 Ron married Carol Ann Kloepfer, a registered nurse who took on this little family with much love.

"She was always mom, never step-mom," said David. Carol Ann died in September 2015.

Ron, like his two brothers, had grown up in his father's funeral home and following Milton Futher's death in 1961 the sons took over. The following year they changed the business name to Futher Bros. Ltd. Funeral Service and Furniture. In 1967, Jerome left the company after purchasing the Schreiter-Sandrock home in Kitchener......

Former fire chief, treasurer, gave and gave for Wellesley community. (2017). Therecord.com. Retrieved 7 May 2017, from https://www.therecord.com/news-story/7055716-former-fire-chief-treasurer-gave-and-gave-for-wellesley-community/

Ronald — Mary Jane Lantz. Mary (daughter of Elton Christian "Butch" Lantz and Mary Magdalen "Magdalene" Koebel) was born 1939; died 1968, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Saint Agatha Roman Catholic Cemetery, St. Agatha, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Ronald married Carol Ann Kloepfer 1972. Carol (daughter of Karl Joseph Kloepfer and Florence Emma Mary Kreller) was born 25 Jan 1936, , Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada; died 10 Sep 2015, St. Jacobs, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , St. Agatha Roman Catholic Church, St. Agatha, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]