Mr. Ronald Carlton Kight (Ron), age 77, of Casselberry, Florida, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at his home after a brief illness. Ron was born on July 11, 1947, in Holly Hill, Florida to Rosina M. Shacklady and John C. Kight.
Raised in Holly Hill, Ron was a Daytona Mainland High School class of ’65 graduate. Upon graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy for basic training at the Great Lakes, Illinois, facility. After training he was stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for a year then was deployed to Vietnam. He served as a machine gunner on a helicopter for Search & Rescue. He completed two tours of Vietnam and was ready to go home when the Koreans captured the USS Pueblo which extended his duty time by several more months. He was decorated with two Bronze Stars, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon.
Upon discharge from the military in Albany, Georgia, Ron went to work for the Albany Police Department for several years. He accepted a position with the Atlanta Metro Police Department’s Motorcycle Unit (a Harley Davidson to be specific). Serving on patrol for a visit by then President Jimmy Carter which was interrupted by a “streaker” running buck naked past the President was one of the more humorous events of his service there. Being adventurous he accepted a civilian position in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a bulldozer operator on the hospital project for King Faisal for about two years. He had many interesting and comical stories from his time there.
Making his way back to the states, he returned to Sanford, Florida for a stint selling cars where he met the love of his life, Mary, and settled down in Orlando and began his career with the Orange County Corrections Department spanning nearly 22 years. Taking early retirement in 2005, they moved to Manchester, Tennessee building a home there as well as on Lake Blackshear in Cordele, Georgia. He loved construction projects and supervised many for the homes they owned. He was never one to sit still.
His interests varied from playing cards – Pinochle, Canasta, and poker which he was good at – as one professional poker player remarked on a cruise ship “you are a true southern gentleman.” He loved traveling, Nascar racing, UGA “Dawgs” football and whoever beat the Gators, an avid Elvis fan, and partying, where he lit up the room with personal anecdotes of his very colorful life.
A lifelong VFW Post 2093 member, Ron was the epitome of a soldier who had served and loved his country.
Survived by his wife of 43 years Mary; daughters Carrie (Julian) Pauleon and Ronda (Justin) Young; grandchildren Gabriel, Peyton, Julianna, Alexandria, Brycen, David and Brody; brother John (Catherine) Kight; several nieces and nephews and very special cousins in England, Graham and Di Shacklady.
To send flowers or plant a tree in memory of Ronald C. Kight, visit the Tribute Store.
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Funeral
29
Aug
420 W. State Road 434
Winter Springs, FL 32708
