Ronald Stephens

Ron Stephens passed away peacefully at his home in Bozeman, MT on February 12, 2008 following a number of years of failing health. He was born in Butler, PA on November 28, 1933 to Caroline Cross and Howard Stephens. Ron was raised by his mother in the home of her parents. He was especially proud of being a member of the 1949 Penn Township Western Region Class C championship basketball team. After high school, Ron went west to Denver to attend Denver University. Ron married Shirley Kolstad after college in 1956. Ron and Shirley had two children, Mark and Cathy, while farming the Kolstad family farm south of Chester, MT. Ron and Shirley were divorced in 1967. He then moved to Missoula, Spokane, and then Boise following new career interests but always keeping his finger on the pulse of the political movements of the day. Ron married Susan Sanders in 1973 and moved to the Milwaukee area during this same time. Ron and Susan had a son, Jefferson, who was later adopted by Susans next husband, after Ron and Susans divorce early in 1977. Late in 1977, Ron married Sandra Guest who brought her own 3 children into the family. Ron helped raise Jennifer, Leslie, and J.D. while he was married to Sandra until their divorce in 1988. Ron had moved to Alexandria, VA to be near business interests in the D.C. area. He later moved to Martinsburg, W.V. for a time to be near the VA Medical Center. He moved to Bozeman in July 2004 to be closer to his children and grandchildren during his last few years. Ron was a member of the Masonic Lodge. Ron had a life long interest in hunting and fishing, enjoyed photography, and world travel. Ron is survived by his daughter Cathy Stephens of Great Falls, his son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Susan Stephens of Bozeman and their daughters, Karli, Randi, and Staci. It is requested that any memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, in the names of Ron and his late mother, Caroline Cross. A more complete history of Rons professional life can be viewed at www.dahlcares.com A memorial will be held at 4:00 pm on March 1, 2008 at Hope Lutheran Church. Expanded obit Ron Stephens passed away peacefully at his home in Bozeman, MT on February 12, 2008, following a number of years of failing health. He was born in Butler, PA on Nov. 28, 1933, to Caroline Cross and Howard Stephens. Ron served two years in the U.S. Army, at Fort Huachuca, AZ and The Presidio, CA, where he graduated first in his class at Army Management School. He graduated from the University of Denver in 1957, with degrees in Industrial Engineering, Marketing and Finance. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He then entered the University of Montana Law School, earning the highest score in the LSAT entrance exam in the history of that institution. A year later, he started work for the New York Institute of Finance, returning to Montana in 1962 to work for Goodbody Lumber Co. During this time, Ron forged a lifelong friendship with former State Senator Allen Kolstad. He soon became National Vice Chairman and Montana State Chairman of the Young Republican Federation. He also served on the Goldwater Finance Group with fellow Montanan Frank Whetstone, meeting with such conservative leaders of the day as Ronald Reagan and John Wayne. Ron ran unsuccessfully for the Montana State Senate in 1964. In 1966, he helped formulate the Republican Plan For Progress. He was highly instrumental in electing 47 GOP freshman to the Montana State Legislature that year. He thereafter served as chief deputy to the Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives, and worked closely with Gov. Tim Babcock and the House Committee on Resources and Development. Ron moved to Idaho in 1970, where he served as top aide to Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa, where he totally revamped Idahos election code, drafting and helping to pass 51 bills, and re-registering 94% of the states eligible voters. For his efforts, Ron was recognized by the Council of State Governments with their Award for Excellence in Election Management. Touted by the Idaho Statesman as Idahos next congressman, Ron instead designed the campaign of Caldwell fruit rancher Steve Symms, who went on to represent Idaho for many years in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Ron spent the next 10 years running the governmental and multinational finance programs of Allis-Chalmers Corporation in West Allis, Wisconsin. During this time, he helped create the National Product Liability Council. In 1980, Ron took a leave of absence from Allis-Chalmers to assist President-elect Ronald Reagan on his transition team, working closely with Lynn Nofsinger, Paul Laxalt and many others. He later became Director of Business/Government Relations for the U.S. Department of Commerce under Reagan, where he designed a non-bureaucratic system for financing the export of U.S. goods. Ron was also instrumental in setting up the highly successful Illinois Export Council. These councils were eventually established in 43 other states. In 1986, Ron moved to Chicago to serve as Finance Director for presidential aspirant Donald Rumsfeld, traveling with Rumsfeld for the next year. In 1987 he joined the East Asia Institute and for the next 12 years, worked intimately with the government of the Philippines and their National Resource Development Council, setting up private businesses throughout that country. He later became Director of the US-South African Trade Council. Much of Ron Stephens incredible life story is impossible to tell, and as Ron put it, no one would believe it anyway. In his final days, he preferred to simply be remembered as someone with a healthy, self-deprecating sense of humor. He certainly was that. And the saying they broke the mold when Ron Stephens came along couldnt be more true. But for all of his accomplishments, he never understood the indelible mark he was leaving on the lives of so many. And for all his brilliance, imagination, drive and dedication, Rons greatest asset was his unquenchable spirit, his constant encouragement of those around him, and his infectiously positive attitude about all things American. Books are written about far lesser lights. Rons book is written on the hearts of those who knew him, embedded in the achievements of the headliners he served and promoted, and etched into the pages of our great and free republic made freer by far, by the tireless efforts of this remarkable man. Ron is survived by his daughter Cathy Stephens of Great Falls, his son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Susan Stephens of Bozeman and their daughters Karli, Randi, and Staci. It is requested that any memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, in the names of Ron and his late mother, Caroline Cross. A memorial will be held at 4:00 P.M. on March 1st, 2008 at Hope Lutheran Church.