Panozzo, Ronald F.

Ronald Francis Panozzo, age 57, of Muskegon, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Sunday, December 10, 2006. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Margaret Panozzo; brothers, Jack, Jr. and Anthony; and sister, Diane. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Krista; his sons, Ron Jr. (Christi) and CPT William R. Wiebenga; grandchildren, Jordan, Kayley and Dylan; a brother, Duane (Claire); several in-laws, nephews and nieces, including a special niece, Maggie Ryan; a beloved pet, Taz; and many dear friends that he considered family. Ron graduated from Muskegon Catholic Schools in 1967 and Aquinas College in 1978 with a business degree. He served in the U.S. Army from 1969-1971, and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1970-1971. Ron approached life with an uncommon passion in everything he did. He began running in 1987 and successfully finished 13 marathons. He was a member of St. Francis deSales Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, and Harbor Towne Yacht Club. Ron worked for Kroger, Interstate Brand (Butternut Bread), Oven Fresh Bakery and Archway Cookies before becoming a Farm Bureau Insurance Agent in 1992. He owned and operated the Ron Panozzo Agency of Muskegon for 15 years. Because of his love of sports, Ron coached Mona Shores Junior hockey for 20 years, Roosevelt Park baseball for 5 years, as well as refereed and umpired many Muskegon area sports. He loved to travel - boating and RVing, and was an avid fan of Michigan football, the Chicago Bears and White Sox. THE MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL will be celebrated at St. Francis deSales Catholic Church on Thursday, December 14 at 11:00 AM. Entombment will he held at St. Mary's Cemetery, with military rites performed by the Muskegon County Council of the VFW. The family will receive visitors at The Walburn Chapel Sytsema Funeral Homes, Inc. 1547 W. Sherman Blvd. from 2-4 & 6-8 PM Wednesday, December 13, with the Rosary prayed at 8:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, St. Francis deSales Catholic Church, or the National Melanoma Foundation.