Ronald G. Smith

Ronald G. Smith, age 67, of Grants Pass, died Saturday, February 7, 2009 at Royale Gardens Health & Rehabilitation Center.

No services are planned. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society, 31 W 6th Street, Medford, Oregon 97501 or Lovejoy Hospice, 939 SE 8th Street, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526.

He was born May 2, 1941 in Portland, Oregon to Leonard Smith & Angeline (Rank) Smith. He was a graduate of Estacada High School. During the Vietnam War he served in the United States Navy for five years and was stationed in Hawaii and Florida. He married Donna Casper and they later divorced. In 1970 in Redmond he started Big Country Service. He also had a small ranch raising all sorts of livestock. On February 14, 1982 in Redmond he married Irene Olney Zalonis. From 1982 until his retirement in 2005 he was a mail contractor with the United States Postal Service never missing a day of work in that time. In 1996 he moved from Redmond to the Rogue Valley.

He was a member of the Moose Lodge and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

His hobbies included hunting, golfing, working in the yard in the sun, and his dogs. He was a co-owner of Reon Pomeranians, bred and showed dogs.

Survivors include his wife, Irene Smith of Grants Pass; two daughters, Teffany Smith-Trees and Deanna Calhoun both of Vancouver, Washington; a brother, Robert Clements of Long Beach, California; two sisters, Nellie Dickie of Seaside and Shirley Hartmann of Woodburn; seven grandchildren, Carson Pebworth, Tony Calwell, Andrew Calwell, Amanda Calwell, Andrew Zalonis, Emily Zalonis, and Taylor Trees; and a stepson, David Zalonis of North Carolina.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Karen Davis.