Ronald W. Goldsmith z”l, passed away on Sunday, April 4, 2021, surrounded by his family and loved ones. Ron, born in New York, became a Kansas City resident at age 3 and was a man known for his calm demeanor, patience and devotion to his family. Ron’s Jewish upbringing and lifelong respect for his culture’s customs, values and teachings served as the foundation that guided him throughout his life.
Ron was born June 3, 1944, to Fred and Alice Goldsmith. Ron grew up as a smart, industrious and serious child. Ron met his lifelong love, Susan Baker Goldsmith, at the age of 17, and the pair went on to marry and spend 54 joyful years of marriage together. Ron graduated from Southwest High School and the University of Missouri with a degree in accounting, upon which he joined his in-laws’ cleaning business after serving in the Coast Guard.
A dedicated father to his children, Jeffrey and Michelle, Ron valued his family above all else and made sure to impart many life lessons to his children. Chief among them, Ron exemplified the values of hard work, commitment, resilience and patience. This was particularly true as he and his brother-in-law Ronald Baker created a cleaning company, BG Service Solutions. Initially their hope was to find 10 buildings to clean in order to support their families. Over the course of the next 35 years, the company grew to have offices in 10 states and employ 6,000 people.
During the course of his life, Ron generously and repeatedly gave back to his community. Philanthropy and tikkun olam, the Jewish philosophy for “repairing the world” through good deeds, were deeply ingrained in Ron’s soul.
He served as the President of Congregation Beth Shalom, the Kansas City Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Foundation and as Chairman of the Board at Research Hospital. Ron poured hundreds of hours into the numerous charities and causes he loved and made generous donations, oftentimes anonymously, to support them. His commitment to developing future leaders, leading by example and putting the needs of his community first are all part of his legacy.
Ron was a loyal Chiefs fan, with season tickets for more than 40 years, and loved rooting on his team. Attending the Super Bowl game in Miami in 2020 was a special event he shared with his daughter and wife. In addition, Ron loved playing poker with his son whenever they were together. Ron also enjoyed travelling with his family and visiting various cities while learning about cultures and traditions around the world.
Ron is survived by his wife, Susan, his children, Jeff (Jessica) and Michelle, and his beloved grandchildren Miles and Violet.
Ron’s burial took place on Tuesday, April 6, at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. To honor his memory, friends are invited to donate to the general fund at Congregation Beth Shalom (14200 Lamar Ave., Overland Park, KS 66223 or via www.bethshalomkc.org), Beth Tikvah (1459 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples, FL 34109-2139 or via www.bethtikvah.org), or Harvesters—The Community Food Network (3801 Topping Ave., Kansas City, MO 64129 or via www.harvesters.org) or a charity of your choice.
Online condolences for the family may be left at www.louismemorialchapel.com (Arrangements entrusted to The Louis Memorial Chapel, 816-361-5211)
