DANVILLE – Ronald James Hawk, 78, passed away at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, Sept. 20, 2022, at Danbury Senior Living after a long battle with dementia.
Ron was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, an entrepreneur and a community builder. He was known by many for his work ethic, kind spirit and ability to remember your name. He was ambitious and a risk-taker but cared about people and integrity more than success. He wanted to see people succeed and wanted to help others with opportunity whenever possible.
Ronald was born April 30, 1944 in Mount Vernon to Robert James and Frances (Grassbaugh) Hawk. He graduated from Howard High School in 1962 and married Joyce Krier from Philo (a classmate of Danville native Kay Durbin at the Good Samaritan School of Nursing in Zanesville) in February 1966 and moved to Danville. Over the next 6 years, they had five children and Ron converted from a Howard Bulldog to a Danville Blue Devil except for when he attended his high school reunions with his old football teammates.
In 1969, Ron and Joyce founded Danville Feed & Supply, Inc. In the 1980s, they also founded Jelloway Valley Equipment. He was a member of St. Luke Catholic Church in Danville, where he was Past Grand Knight of Council 910 of the Knights of Columbus. He was a founder of the Danville Athletics 200 Club, a long-time supporter of the Danville Athletic Boosters, Danville Fire Department and the First Knox National Bank Advisory Board (now Park National Bank) and was recognized as a Hall of Fame honoree of the Knox County Junior Fair Sale.
A loving husband and father to his five children, 17 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, he is survived by his daughter Michelle Winings; sons, Michael (Kathy) Hawk, Marc (Tonya) Hawk, David (Kim) Hawk and Doug (Mariah) Hawk; seventeen wonderful grandchildren; sisters Rita Hawk of Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Barbara Mickley of Danville and Ada Jacobs of Mount Vernon; and a brother, Donald Hawk of Howard. In addition to his parents, Ron was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce (Krier) Hawk, in 2017.
The family would like to especially thank the many caregivers for their exceptional love and care for Ron at Brookdale and Danbury Senior Living Centers and the staff of Kindred Hospice Care.
A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 26, at St. Luke Catholic Church in Danville. Father Vincent Nguyen and Father Homer Blubaugh will officiate. Family and friends may call from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday at St. Luke Church.
Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the maintenance and renewal fund for St. Luke Cemetery Fund at the Catholic Foundation, 257 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215, or the Danville Athletic Boosters, 28388 Jelloway Road, Danville, OH 43014.
