After a lengthy illness, Ronald (Ron) passed away peacefully on April 19th, 2026, at Lakeshore General Hospital in Ashern, Manitoba.
Ron is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Jo-Anne (Joey); his son Mike (Sue) and grandchildren Kristen and Mathew; his daughter Tracy (Barry) and grandchildren Sophia and Emily; and great-grandchildren, Raelynn, JJ and Riley.
Ron is predeceased by his son John, parents Frank and Rose Schenkers, and his sisters, Olga, Ann, and Fran. Ron grew up in St. James where he attended St. Anne’s and St. Paul’s Schools. Ron’s first job was a paper route. It was here where he met his future wife, Joey, at the age of 14.
Ron worked for a Shell service station as a teenager. At age 21, he became owner of an Esso Service Station making Ron one of the youngest Esso Dealers in Canada for the Esso Franchise at that time.
Ron continued his entrepreneurial path, moving on to ownership of two Gondola Pizza restaurants in 1973.
In 1977, the family relocated to Stony Mountain where Ron started a rainbow trout hatchery, a first in Canada.
A few years later, Ron saw a new opportunity and purchased a water well drilling rig. Stonewall Drilling was born and alongside his longtime friend and business partner, Harry Frederick, they ran a successful water well drilling business for over 25 years.
In 2005 Ron retired and he and Jo-Anne moved to their cottage at Sandpiper Beach near St. Laurent, MB. The lake was a recreation area for Ron and Joey for over 50 years where they enjoyed golf, summers on the beach and lots of family time. They also fled the Manitoba winters and spent a number of seasons in Arizona, golfing and visiting with fellow snowbirds.
Ron was a real character, known for his sharp wit and quirky sense of humour. He loved Joey, his family, his dog Sally and life at the lake. He will be deeply missed.
Cremation has occurred, and a service is planned to take place in Stonewall, MB at a later date.
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