Obituary

Langer, Ronald Walter, age 69, recent great-grandfather, compulsive penny collector, RV enthusiast, and volunteer extraordinaire, died on June 5th.

Ron was the only son of Walter & Josephine Langer, and the baby of the family. He enjoyed the love and attention of a large, extended family growing up in Chicago and Berwyn, IL. His maternal grandparents lived with them, and girl cousins, Sandra and Phyllis, lived close by. This early family life made him very comfortable around older people and most especially women of all ages.

He married young and enjoyed 51 years of many adventures with his best friend and wife, Karen. He lived in six states, many preceding the demise of a large manufacturing company where he worked. He was a journeyman tool & die maker, and his career was based on engines and generators heavy trucks to RVs. He and his sister, Eleanor, were the third generation to work at International Harvester in Chicago and Melrose Park, IL. It was a sad day for his parents when he resigned and moved his family to Ohio, because it ended over ninety-three years of family service to IH.

He discovered the pleasure of RV-ing more than 50,000 miles through every state west of the Mississippi River, staying at many beautiful National and State Parks. Until recently he shared driving duty with his wife. He treasured the camaraderie of the California Chapter FMCA family, and all past and present employees of El Toro RV.

Recently he played with his first great-grandchild, Christopher Langer of MN, and told everyone how good-looking and smart he was.

Ron admitted to two pastime passions pennies and baseball. As a teenager, a random find of a 1922-plain penny started his lifelong addiction to find other notable coins in circulation. He regretted selling that coin for $200.00 one of his life’s early learning lessons. He saw the MN Twins and the Anaheim Angels each win the World Series. However, he wished he could have seen his hometown team, the Chicago Cubs, win too.

He never had a DUI, broken bone or a college degree. He never owned a gun, “alternative fuel” car or tuxedo. He paid his bills on time and was called “Bank of Dad” by his children and grandchildren. He was the family electrician, but would not touch plumbing. He was arrested once on his honeymoon but only his family knows the whole story.

His one true vanity was his full head of wavy air (inherited from both his mother and father), which chemo straightened.

Commenting how odd it is, as the baby of the family, to die first he said, “Sorry about that,” to Eleanor Skarda, Dolores Szejka and Rita Corbin, his much older, widowed sisters back in Illinois.

Ron lived one third of his life in Orange County, CA. Upon retirement he became, what his wife called, “A Professional Volunteer.” He devoted untold hours to local, county, senior and historical projects. His special thanks go to Msgr. John Urell, Pat Bates, Joe Brown, Kathryn McCullough, Cathy Angstadt, Nancy Hull, John Pointer and Ilse Brynes for teaching him about important local issues,no dinosaurs in the San Juan Capistrano Historic District.

He accepted God’s call to be a Eucharistic Minister at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church and organized “Angels on Wheels” to pick up and return parishioners to church services or local medical visits, and in so doing became part of another huge family.

He regrets not taking better care of his personal health, thereby depriving his daughter, Wendy Weinand (Tony) and granddaughters, Charlotte and Mary of San Antonio, TX; daughter, Jennifer Nelson (Steve) of Bovey, MN; grandson Nicholas Langer and great-grandson, Chris of Grand Rapids, MN; and son, Christopher Langer (Giuliana) of Laguna Beach, CA, of his love and guidance for a few more years.

A Vigil will be said on Monday, June 10 at 7:00 PM at O’Connor Mortuary in Laguna Hills, CA. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated Tuesday at 10:00 AM at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 29102 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel on June 11, 2013. Reception follows in the church hall.

His new residence will be St. Adalbert’s Cemetery in Niles, IL, which is close to Berwyn where his mother said God lived.

In lieu of flowers, please make a tax-deductible donation in his name to the American Cancer Society, 1-800-227-2345 or www.cancer.org.

Last thought: In honor of Ron, the family suggests you contact your Congressman and insist the US Mint discontinue minting the penny, as it costs 1.8 cents to make.

O’Connor Laguna Hills Mortuary, Directors (949) 581-4300, www.oconnormortuary.com.