Ronald Steven Agron fought a valiant battle with CADASIL and passed away on July 15, 2023, 10 days after his 68th birthday.
Ron was born on July 5, 1955, at Menorah Hospital to Howard Allan and Joyce Agron and would later become “big brother Ronnie” to Susan, Harold and Michael. Beloved by his family. including adoring grandparents Jack and Edith Agron, Ethel Wasserman and the large extended family in Kansas City, Ron grew up loving music (especially The Beatles) and sports. He enjoyed making money by delivering groceries for his father and grandfather’s store, as well as caddying at both Brookridge and Meadowbrook country clubs. Later, he would work at Meadowbrook in a variety of capacities that cemented his love of hospitality management.
Ron both became a bar mitzvah and was confirmed at Congregation Beth Shalom. He graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School in 1973 and began his college years at Arizona State University. After one-and-a-half-years at ASU, he transferred to KU. While at KU, his beloved mother found out about the budding hospitality management program at Johnson County Community College. Ron was a “natural” for that program and began his hospitality education at JCCC. He completed his hours for an associate’s degree and was awarded a Heinz scholarship while serving as a maître d’ at Victory Hills Country Club, making him able to transfer to Florida International University.
Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree at FIU, he was immediately hired by Hyatt Hotels and began a terrific and successful 25 year career with Hyatt. His first assignment with Hyatt was in Atlanta, Georgia, as a management trainee. When he was chosen as the top trainee in his class, he was assigned as the personal assistant to the president of Hyatt Hotels in Chicago. His next assignment was as rooms executive of the Hyatt Regency Burlingame, where he would meet his first wife, Mary. Ron and Mary would then move to Incline Village, Nevada; Washington, DC; and the Grand Hyatt in New York City as Ron advanced as a rooms executive.
By age 30, Ron was promoted to general manager of the Hyatt Regency Savannah, where daughter Dianna was born. After four years in Savannah, Georgia, Ron was promoted to general manager in San Antonio, Texas, where son Jason was born. After nine years in San Antonio, Ron and Mary would return to where it all began for them at the newer Hyatt Regency Burlingame. After six years as general manager (they all lived in the hotel), Ron’s disease began to manifest further, and his early retirement was necessary.
Ron’s beloved parents were still relatively healthy then, and he desired to return to Kansas City. His marriage to Mary ended after 21 years, and he would later marry Theresa. Ron’s early retirement years included many live concerts and blues clubs, playing his many guitars, raising German Shepherd puppies with Theresa and having lots of fun with his sister Susan and her two girls.
After his marriage to Theresa ended, his brother Mike introduced him to Rita, a longtime friend going back to their days of working at Coco’s Restaurant. Ron and Rita were thoroughly in love and were able to enjoy several years of good and fun times in their marriage before his final stroke in 2017 left him mostly paralyzed and unable to speak. Rita was his dedicated caregiver, and his siblings are forever grateful to her for the struggle she bravely accepted.
Ron was preceded in death by his beloved parents and grandparents, many beloved aunts and uncles and cousins, and younger brother, Harold David “Hal” Agron, who also valiantly battled CADASIL.
He is survived by adoring siblings Susan Agron Murphy (Overland Park, Kansas) and Michael B. Agron (Gillette, Wyoming); children Dianna and Jason Agron; nieces Erika and Amanda Murphy and Nicole Agron; nephew Jack Agron; sister-in-law Ruth Agron; brother-in-law Kevin Murphy; Susan’s fiancée Mike Moots; aunts Tonia Agron and Terry Wasserman; loving Agron, Wasserman, Kohn and Oppenheimer cousins; beloved friends; former wives Mary and Theresa; and his loving wife Rita Rosano. Ron was a near “complete package” of talent, grace, intelligence, humor, love and care. He was “Captain” of Howard and Joyce’s four children, and he always led his siblings in the right direction and kept them entertained.
Mike will tell everyone, “I could not have had two better brothers on this great planet than Ron and Hal.” They were each “rockstars” and were each other’s “best man.” Arrangements are pending, and donations to cureCADASIL.org are most appreciated.
