Life Sketch

Ronald Lax was born in Indiana on July 5, 1931. He was the third of four boys born to Joseph and Carrie Lax. The Lax family hailed from Tennessee. His mother was the daughter of Italian immigrants. He was reared in a typical Christian home. He was also a typical boy. He swam in local swimming holes. Rode bicycles with his brothers. Visited with extended family and even saw his share of mischief. When he was a little boy attending school, he would run home during the school day and try to stay home. His father told him if he would go back to school and stay there, he could have a bag full of toy soldiers. Young Ron was so excited and ran back to school. When he got home, he was given a bag of soldiers. He was so disappointed. The bag he was given was more the size of a lunch bag-not the large grocery sized brown bag of soldiers he had been daydreaming about all day.

He attended Washington High School and as a wrestler was one of two four time Conference Champions. One night, my grandpa asked me to scan one of his high school wrestling photos. I went on and on about how lucky grandma was to be dating such a handsome boy. Neither of them stopped my attempts at flattery and then when I finished, Grandma quipped, “Actually I was dating him, as she pointed to the only boy in a picture with a shirt and slacks on.” I asked who he was. She smiled and said, “The water boy.” She then went on to tell me that she and Ron met while on a double date-they were each with another date at the time. When asked on another occasion by another granddaughter, was attracted Donna to him, Ron responded that on that date, “Grandma cleared her plate.” This of course got a big laugh from his grand-daughter. I still don’t know if that was what attracted him to Donna of if that was Ron’s good natured teasing we have all come to know. Whatever the truth was, they became high school sweethearts and married in 1951.

Ron went on to college at Ohio State University. He continued wrestling and was part of the 1951 Big Ten Conference Championship Team. The following year, as a senior, he was selected as co-captain. With Donna expecting their first child, Ron decided to quit wrestling and work more hours to support his growing family. While he loved wrestling and was very good, it was more important to him to be a father. He graduated from Ohio State with a degree in Business Administration and went on to run his own gas station in Gary, Indiana. The Lax family continued to grow with the births of two more girls. Ron wasn’t satisfied being a small business owner so he decided to go back to school and obtain a Master’s degree in Education from Indiana University. The family moved back to East Chicago where they could be near relatives and a satellite campus of Indiana University. However, the University required that students take at least one class on campus to earn their degree. To get to the main campus, Ron would catch rides or hitchhike and sleep on friends’ floors and couches. By 1965 Ron earned his Master’s and three months later, his fourth and final daughter was born.

With his degree in hand, the Lax Family decided they needed a change and moved to Arizona. They ended up in Mesa and Ron taught math at Globe Junior High, Powell Junior High and Mt. View High School. Teaching was natural to Ron. He cared about people. He liked people. He also had the unique ability to include others and make them feel like they belonged. Some of you here today might remember the special red geometry shirts he had made for his students. Even though I was much younger, I got to wear one of his “snazzy” t-shirts. I had no idea what all the symbols on the shirt represented, I just knew it was something cool Papa did at work.
Later when I was in high school, I needed some tutoring in geometry. I was frustrated and could get part of the proof done but then just got confused. My grandpa showed me how to continue the problem; he then said something that has stuck with me. He told me math was nothing more than patterns. “Look for the patterns.” Even though we were discussing math, I believe that is how Ron lived life. He sought out patterns and followed them. The ultimate pattern being his Savior. Right after he married Donna, he celebrated a birthday. He was given a copy of the Holy Bible from his parents with this inscription from his father, “To Ronald & Donna, Our wish is that you will always live by this book.” As I look back on my grandfather’s life, I often wonder just how many patterns he saw in the Bible. I do know one thing he understood very well is found in Matthew 22-36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt alove the Lord thy God with all thy bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy cmind.
38 This is the first and great acommandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt alove thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the alaw and the prophets.

If you refer to the back of your program you will see this pattern in the things Ron loved and the things he liked. He understood where his true priorities should be. Those priorities were enhanced when he and his family were introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Lax family had multiple encounters with their Mormon neighbors. Instrumental in their learning about and accepting the Restored Gospel were Vallerie’s high school friends and co-worker and friend, Wayne Slade. In 1970, when the Lax family decided to join the Mormon Church, it was Wayne Slade who baptized them.

After joining the Church Ron immediately started researching his family history. He obtained birth, death and marriage documents and made copies. He did ordinance work in the temple. Up until his death, he was indexing genealogical records for the FamilySearch online database. He loved his family, both living and deceased and felt an obligation towards them. As he worked on family history, he kept in touch with his family and friends through his blog and most recently, his account on Facebook. He wanted to know what we were doing. He kept connected. He cared.

He also loved missionary work and was never shy about making it known he was a follower of Christ. He took the office of High Priest seriously. He loved the Lord.

Second only to the Lord, he loved Donna, whom he affectionately referred to as “goody.” And she is that good. In the Bible we read of scripture that teaches “neither the man without the woman nor the woman without the man, in the sight of the Lord.” I think I understand that scripture. When I see my grandma, I see my grandpa. When I look at my grandpa, I see grandma. It’s as if there never was Donna without Ron, except for that brief time she was dating the water boy. Their story is a modern day love story. If you look through their photos and have seen them together, they have that sparkle in their eye for one another. That love has been a great example to his children, grandchildren and extended family. It has brought comfort to those he has loved best.

On Sunday, June 7, 2009 Ron Lax passed peacefully in his sleep. Though he had suffered with diabetes and heart problems for years, the Lord extended mercy to the man who showed more than his share to others. He was able to eat one of his favorite meals the night before. Visit with family he had not seen in a while and cuddle next to his beloved wife. It is my testimony that the Lord lives. He has overcome death so we all can be resurrected. He has provided a path or pattern to follow that will strengthen us through the difficult times and prepare us for living in the hereafter as husband and wife. Brother and sister. Parents and children.