Obituary for Lt. Col. Ronald E. “Ron” Morin, USAF, Ret.
Lt. Col. Ronald E. Morin, USAF, Ret.
1947-2018 Lieutenant Colonel Ronald E Morin, USAF, Ret. 70, died peacefully on Friday October 12, 2018 surrounded by his friends and family after a year long battle with brain cancer. Lt Col Morin was born December 7, 1947 in Maryville, Missouri, to Everett and Patsy Morin.
After graduating from Ravenwood High School, he enlisted in the Air Force and served during the Vietnam war. He married his high school sweetheart, Carol Jackson, in November 1967 and they moved to Little Rock Arkansas where he started his Air Force career in the Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program at Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB). He had a diverse and illustrious career in the Air Force.
He quickly advanced in rank as an enlisted airman, reaching the grade of Master Sergeant in minimal time. Ron was then selected to receive his commission as an officer, one of the few USAF Master Sergeants to ever earn that honor. While an officer, he was selected by the President of the United States to receive a Regular Commission in the USAF.
This is a lifetime appointment, one which all officers strive for but only those selected obtain. He continued to excel, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel prior to his decision years later to retire.
Ron’s many accomplishments include being named the Strategic Air Command Missile Combat Crew officer of the Month for actions he took to prevent the loss of an ICBM facility during an emergency situation. In addition to his time at Little Rock AFB as a Titan Missile Crew member, he later served, in 1980-1984, at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls MT where he was assigned as a Minutemen Missile Launch Officer with the Minuteman II Missile system. 1984-1985 he was selected for a remote tour in Comiso, Sicily working with emergency war order procedures on the critical Ground Launched Cruise Missile system.
1986-1991 he was selected for assignment to Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City SD where he worked on several EC-135 platforms in Emergency War Order Procedures and Airborne Launch Control System launch codes. 1991-1995 he was assigned to Offutt AFB in Bellevue NE where he worked in Airborne battle staff in ICBM operations and flew on the EC-135 operation Looking Glass. 1996-2000 he was selected for a prestigious assignment to Kirkland AFB in Albuquerque NM with the Nuclear Missile systems at the AF safety center.
2000-2004 he returned to duty with the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) at Offutt AFB working with Emergency Action Procedures. He retired from active duty with the Air Force in 2004 after having served with honor and distinction for over 37 years. Following Ron’s retirement from active duty with the USAF, he was a systems engineer with various defense contracting firms, using his vast knowledge to help the Department of Defense with the development and maintenance of critical defense systems.
Ron was a student of history, an outstanding technician, and an academic scholar, having earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technologies from Southern Illinois University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of South Dakota. His passion was the outdoors, where he loved to hunt and fish. He was an outstanding shooter, both with firearms and bows, and competed in numerous bow competitions, winning numerous awards.
Ron is survived by his loving wife, Carol of 50 years, Ravenwood, MO. 2 children: Jill Kain and Amber Newham, Maryville, MO. 4 grandchildren: Robert Kain IV (TJ), Vivian Kain, Lauren Newham, and Addison Newham.
A brother: Mark Morin (Vickie) Ravenwood, MO. A sister: Cheryl Rucker (Ron), Quinlan, TX and many nieces and nephews. Mass of Christian Burial 11am Tuesday, October 16th at St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Church.
Interment St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Maryville, Missouri. Rosary 6pm Monday, October 15th at St. Gregory’s Barbarigo Catholic Church. The family will receive friends following the rosary from 6:30 to 8:00pm.
The family suggests memorials to the American Brain Tumor Association.
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