Ronald Harold Irwin 'Ron' Heisinger

BURLEY – Ronald Harold Irwin “Ron” Heisinger, a 79-year-old resident of Burley, died Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, at his home after a long illness.

Ron was born in Wilmington, California, on Nov. 3, 1939; he was the youngest of four children born to Dorwin Stanley and Frieda Louise (Raabe) Heisinger. He joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17 and served seven years as a payroll clerk and as part of a helicopter crew. During his service he had the opportunity to travel and to serve in different areas. He spent a time in Japan, which he remembered fondly throughout his lifetime. After leaving the Marines, Ron served as a police officer in Orange County, California, while also earning a bachelor’s degree from Long Beach State College. In his lifetime, he also worked as an officer for the Lake Oswego, Oregon, police department, owned and operated a roofing company in Nampa, Idaho, and worked for J bar J Youth Services in Bend, Oregon.

While in the Marines, Ron married and had two children with his first wife, Delores; Kurt Von and Carmen Louise. Ron and Delores divorced when the children were teens. She resides in California. Their children have remained in the southwestern United States; Kurt resides in Phoenix, Arizona, and has a daughter and granddaughter, and Carmen lives in Southern California. In 2002, Ron married Shirley Burden in Madras, Oregon. She has a daughter and three grandchildren with whom he had a loving relationship.

Ron was a collector of classic movies, model trains and tractors. He was a military buff and an avid reader, and was particularly fond of Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy novels. He loved to work in his shop building and restoring vehicles including his father’s truck and three antique tractors. He enjoyed spending time with Shirley gardening, traveling and just sitting quietly.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley; his sister, Carole Ann Edmunds; his children, Carmen and Kurt; a stepdaughter, Regina; and their grandchildren. He was also blessed with nieces and nephews who he loved greatly.

Ron’s life will be celebrated at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, where friends may greet the family one-half hour prior to the service.