October 21, 2017
Ronald Alex Gies Obituary (Age 78) On October 21st, Ronald Alex Gies passed away from prostate cancer, at home, surrounded by loved ones. Ron was an incredibly caring husband, father, and grandfather and loved his family unconditionally. He was also very involved in the lives of his many friends and family members. Ron was born in Walla Walla, WA to Alex and Clara Gies, in 1939. The family moved to Spokane in 1941, when his father went to work for Payless Drug. Ron grew up in Spokane and graduated from North Central High School in 1957. He attended Whitworth College and Eastern Washington University, graduating with a degree in Business Administration in 1963. That was also the year he married Evelyn (Evie) to begin their lifelong marriage of 54 years. Ron began his career at RedLake Corporation, makers of Hi Speed motion picture camera systems. He was involved in the marketing of these systems for the Apollo program, the development and testing of military aircraft and weapons systems, and automotive safety testing of early air bag designs. This job took Ron and his family to Seattle, Albuquerque, Detroit, and Southern California. In 1975, Ron moved his family to Spokane to run the business started by his father, Paramount Photo Lab. He operated and expanded the business for 25 years, until digital photography overtook the industry. During his time as a small business owner, Ron was an active member of the Rotary Club and served on several board positions. He was also active on the planning of several reunions for his North Central class, and attended his last reunion just weeks prior to his passing. Ron is survived by his loving wife Evie, his three children and their spouses: Steve and Diane Gies; David and Makeba Gies; and Cindy and Brendon Wright; along with three grandchildren. Ron is also survived by his sisters and their spouses Shirley and Dick Dickstein; and Barbara and Dick Strevy; as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews. Lastly Ron and Evie would like to thank Dr. Lund and the staff of Rockwood Clinic, and Dr. Lee and the staff at Cancer Care Northwest for all of their care and support during the last chapter of his life. A memorial service will be held 1:00pm Saturday, November 11, 2017 at Heritage Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Rotary of Spokane. � To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Ronald, please visit our Tree Store. Read more Events OCT 21
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