Up and Running Again

For a period of time some additions and updates will be made on the Voices blog. Your input is welcome if you would like to add or update information about yourself or about our Class of '63 friends. You can contact me, Nicki Wilcoxson, on Facebook by sending a message to me there. Your contributions are welcomed. January 17, 2012

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Ronnie/"Rodney" ... A Quiet Man ... A Gentle Soul....

by Jennifer Johnston

Our friend and classmate Ronnie Frank Kindle (a/k/a "Rodney") left us, and this life, on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 in Amarillo, Texas where he had lived the majority of his life after graduating CHS.... Ronnie was born in Childress County, at his family's farmhouse, on October 20, 1944....

I was saddened (as were others of us) to hear of Ronnie's death, though we were not particularly close friends in high school, nor after.... The only time I ever saw Ronnie after graduation was the night before Paula Leach Schubarth's funeral in May 2002, when he and Joe Hopkins and Doug Greer came by Lynn Purcell Durham's house (where I was staying for a few days) and visited and reminisced with us about Paula and our school days....

When Sheila Davis Martinez messaged me that Ronnie had died, and after my initial shock (no matter how old we get, I am still stunned to hear that one of us has gone), the first thoughts which came to mind about Ronnie were how quiet he was, how guileless he seemed, and how he always seemed to fit the description of a truly gentle soul, all the way from elementary school through high school, and as I have heard, throughout his later life.... That is how he left us ... going gently and quietly into that "good night," without warning or time to prepare....

Among other things, Ronnie played Bobcat football under those fabled "Friday Night Lights," as a Fullback who wore #31. He was the class Treasurer in Sophomore year and class Reporter for Junior year, as well as being named "Most Bashful Boy" as a Sophomore and "Cutest Boy" when we were Seniors.

After I had absorbed and mulled Sheila's message, I contacted and spoke with Joe, one of Ronnie's closest friends, who sent me the following reflections....

"Jennifer, I too was deeply saddened when I got news of Ronnie's death today. His partner [Charlene] of 28 years called and said that he had a heart attack yesterday and died at about 1:30 pm. Apparently there was no warning or history of heart issues. ... They both worked for a company called Western Irrigation for many years.

Ronnie and I were thicker than fleas in high school, mostly involving drinking beer. Too many stories to recall and too many hangovers to forget!. We did manage to stay out of jail until the summer after we graduated. We got busted at the Vernon rodeo and spent the night in their jail, along with Harold [Simmons] and Barry [Wakefield].
  
Ronnie served in Vietnam in about 1967 or 1968. He never talked about his time there so I don't know what he experienced. ... He worked for the same company I did, Purolator Courier, in the mid to late 1970's, in Amarillo. I think he started his career with Western in the late 80's but I am not positive. We spoke on the phone about 2-3 times annually, including about 2-3 weeks ago. He was always in a good mood and enjoyed talking about work and fishing trips. I know he and Stan were the youngest of several brothers and sisters in the Kindle family. 

We were at Barry's funeral in 01/2015 and at Nicki [Sooter Wilcoxson]'s funeral in 05/2015. That was the last time I saw him in person

Ronnie had two daughters and 5 grandchildren. He seemed very content with his life and had no plans to retire to my knowledge. I miss him already and wish I could have had more time with him. He was a valued and trusted friend who did not judge people and was a man of his word."

I so appreciate the information Joe, as always, and I am sure others will too.... Ronnie is also survived by his brothers Mike and Stanley, which I learned from his obituary in The Amarillo Globe News....

Safe journey, Ronnie, as you travel on.... You are missed....

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