Ronald Wayne Ramming died peacefully at home on July 1, 2025. He was born on July 28, 1936, in Wichita Falls, Texas, to Dora Rathke and Archie Leonhard Ramming. He was the middle of three sons, between older brother Boyce Ardo and younger brother James Wallace. The family moved to Lawton, Oklahoma when Ronald was in the fourth grade and were dedicated members of St. John's Lutheran Church, forging many life-long family friendships at their beloved church home.

Ronald played tennis throughout his youth, emerging as a stand-out player during his years at Lawton High School, capping off his high school career by clenching the state championship in men's singles in June 1954 just a few weeks ahead of graduation. Coach Art Griffith of Oklahoma A&M University (later, Oklahoma State University), was in the stands that day and approached him as he left the court to offer him a full athletic scholarship for the next year, fulfilling Ronald's primary high school tennis goal of securing financing for his college education.

The 1957 Oklahoma A&M yearbook declared Ronald a "sophomore sensation" who "smashed his way to an undefeated season in singles play". During his senior year, Ronald earned the distinction of winning the first individual championship for the newly-formed Big Eight Conference as he took the No. 2 singles title five minutes ahead of his roommate's No. 1 singles title at the organization's first event, followed shortly by the two partnering to win the No. 1 doubles championship.

Ronald met the love of his life, Helen Josephine Hughes, of Chickasha, Oklahoma, on a blind date in 1955 while she was a student at Oklahoma College for Women. She soon joined him at OSU, and after his graduation with a bachelor's degree in Accounting, they married at St John's on September 28, 1958. They initially established their home in Lawton and their son, Ricky Leonard, was born there in 1959 on Helen and Ronald's first wedding anniversary.

Shortly after Ricky's birth, Ronald enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where he served as a radar operator. Helen and Ricky joined him in Honolulu, spending many happy hours courtside supporting Ronald during his time on the 1960 and 1961 All-Army tennis teams and as he found himself in high demand as an opponent in the military and island's tennis communities.

Following his honorable discharge in 1961, Helen and Ronald returned to Lawton where they have resided ever since. They continued the legacy of service at St John's Lutheran Church, where Ronald served as elder and usher, as well as volunteered in many capacities throughout the years. Ronald had several jobs after the Army including working for his father and at P&D Distributors, eventually taking a position with civil service at Fort Sill in 1967. In 1993, he retired from the Directorate of Resource Management after 27 years of honorable service during which he held the position of auditor in various financial oversight and compliance roles throughout Fort Sill.

Ronald was asked to join the board of directors of the Fort Sill Federal Credit Union in 1973, serving as both member and Chairman of the FSFCU Supervisory Committee from 1973 to1980, as Board Secretary/Treasurer from 1980 to 2012, and as a member of the Asset Liability Committee from 1980 to 2012. At his retirement from the board in 2012, he was honored with citations from both the Oklahoma Senate and Oklahoma House of Representatives for his distinguished 39 years of service to the FSFCU.

Ronald embraced his retirement with a zeal for golf that rivaled his competitive drive on the tennis court. Ronald cherished the friendships he made at both the Fort Sill Golf Course and the Lawton Country Club, participating in many annual tournaments. When he was not golfing, Helen and Ronald enjoyed travelling throughout the United States and Europe.

Ronald is survived by his wife, Helen, of the home, and his son Rick, an aeronautical engineer who resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his partner Lynnette Ranz. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers. Ronald was blessed with a large extended family, and throughout his life enjoyed an extremely close relationship with his many aunts and uncles, cousins, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and particularly his nieces and nephews who loved and revered him as their family patriarch.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 23, 2025 at St. John Lutheran Church with Rev. Dr. Bill Schneider officiating.

Memorial contributions are welcome at St. John's Lutheran Church, Lawton, Oklahoma.

An online guest book and sympathy cards are available at www.beckerfuneral.com