Family of Ronnie Scheall
Ronnie Scheall was born in Standish, Michigan. He graduated from Standish Sterling High School and Delta College. He then earned his degree in Industrial Engineering from Western Michigan University. He was the first of his siblings to attend college. He worked as a co-op student at Bay City Chevrolet, now GM Bay City Powertrain, while attending WMU. He would take classes one semester then work the next.
He met his wife, Linda, at WMU. They had two sons, Nicholas and Christopher. Upon his graduation he was hired by Bay City Chevrolet. A driverless truck system he designed and had installed was a first of its kind in the Bay, Midland, and Saginaw, Michigan area. He transferred to Saginaw Steering Gear, later called Delphi, then became Nexteer. While working at Delphi, he started and completed his Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Saginaw Valley State University.
As a young child, Ron learned to hunt and fish. He continued these interests through his adult years, but his lifelong passion was for baseball. His 1957 Standish Little League team won the championship. He shared this passion with his family. He was a T-ball coach for his sons. In their retirement years, Ron and Linda visited ESPN Sports complex at Disney World to watch the visiting Tigers play the Atlanta Braves at their spring training.
Ron was a member of the Bay City Jaycees, a board member of his church, soccer coach for his boys, Boy Scout volunteer and gardener volunteer with the Bay County Division on Aging. Together, from their sons pre-school to adult years, Ronnie’s family enjoyed camping in northern Michigan, visiting Disney World, playing board games, playing card games, musical theater, concerts, and putting puzzles together.
Ronnie always enjoyed gardening. In retirement he was able to spend his days maintaining a big vegetable garden and beautiful flower beds. In 2019, SVSU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) planted a cutting of a Michigan-native Prairie Dock plant from Ronnie’s home flower garden.
Ronnie was diagnosed in 2015 with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He participated in the research program at the University of Michigan in their search for a cure. Ronnie died on January 6, 2018. He is sadly missed by his family, friends and former colleagues. He was predeceased by his son, Nicholas, who was a lecturer in the SVSU Math Department at the time of his death.
Through the generosity of the Scheall family, a scholarship was established in Ronnie’s honor.