Obituary of Ron L. Burr

Ron “Ronnie” Lee Burr, age 78, of Lone Tree, died peacefully at Mercy Iowa City with his family at his side on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, after a short but courageous battle with prostate cancer. A Celebration of Life will take place at his home in June 2020. Ron was born in 1941, at Mercy Hospital, son of Cleo Lee and Leonore (Lynch) Burr, the first of five children. He was a graduate of Regina High School (1960) and Universal Trades School, Omaha (1963). He worked at the University of Iowa as an auto mechanic and later as a facilities mechanic, retiring in 2002 after 35 years. Ron was always working with his hands and took great pride in making things that would last. He had a deep knowledge of automobiles and could tell you the make, model and engine details of any car from 1920 to 1990. After retiring, he was passionate about restoring classic cars and was grateful to the skilled tradespeople who helped him make his vision a reality—from the upholstery to the paint. He was also an avid trap shooter since he was a young man. He loved living in the quiet of the country, planting gardens and trees with his wife Jean. He was a hard-working man with an easy laugh and was generous with his family and friends. On February 8, 1964, he married Janet (Lenz) at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City. Janet passed away on March 17, 2004. On June 30, 2005, he married Jean Chapman. Ron’s family includes his wife, Jean; son, Mitchell of Naples, FL; daughter, Angela of Oakland, CA; brothers, Daryl of Homestead and Tommy of West Liberty; sisters, Janet (Probst) of Gettysburg, PA and Joyce (Jenkins) of Ankeny, IA. To share a thought, memory or condolence with Ronnie’s family, please visit the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com. Memorial donations can be made to the Ronald Lee Burr Memorial Fund. The family will use all donations to support the education of future mechanics.