Ronald Gene Thies of Springfield Virginia, son of the late Henry Thies Sr and Jennie Ambroz
Thies, was born on September 3rd 1934 in Lake Andes South Dakota. The Lord called him to
his final resting place on December 19th 2022, after a short illness.
Ron graduated high school from Ethan High school in Ethan, South Dakota in 1951. After High
school, he worked for a tree service company and assisted his father and brother on their family
farms. On April 13th, 1954 he enlisted in the United States Army and served until March 26th,
1956. Then he went to college in the fall of 1954 at South Dakota State Teachers College. After
college he taught high school math for two years in Kansas. In 1962, Ron moved to Northern
Virginia and worked for the federal government as a computer analyst, he retired in 1997. He
was also a long time member of the American Legion and contributed many volunteer hours.
Ron is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, June Blanton Thies; one son, Ronald “Jason”
Thies; one daughter, June “Kimberly” Gannon, (Spouse, Glenn Gannon); One brother Fred
Thies of Redlands California; Seven grandchildren, Kelly, (spouse, Kyle Graumann) Michelle,
Brittany, Nicholas, Megan, Katie, and Auden; and four great grandchildren; Evan, Haley, Davis,
and Nora.
Ron was preceded in death by his parents; Henry and Jennie Thies; his brothers, Henry “Babe”,
Alvin, Robert “Bob”,and his sisters; Gladys, and Mildred “Millie” He was also preceded by two
sons; Dwain and Carl Persing.
Ron was a hard-working, loving, selfless man who was loved by all. He always greeted you with
a smile and was genuinely happy to see you. He was always looking out for others first, never
passed judgment on anyone, and never complained. His demeanor was always very comforting
and calm. Any person or pet that came into his life had a special bond and loved him. Ron’s wife
June was the center of his world. He enjoyed gardening and landscaping, and always kept his
yard in immaculate condition. He loved spending time with family and friends playing card and
board games. He loved nature and could be found sitting in his chair, with a cup of coffee,
watching for birds, foxes and deer every morning. And, Ron would never miss a VA Tech
football game (even during a bad year!). He loved family vacations, to include years of going to
Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks. He loved cooking and spending time together as a family
during meals. There was nothing like waking up to the smell of his famous bologna and egg
sandwiches. Ron was our voice of reason and calm behind our crazy, he will be dearly missed.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023 in Storke Funeral Home, Bowling Green. Burial will follow at 2:00 pm at Quantico National Cemetery with military honors. The family will receive friends from 10:00 am until service time.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the South Dakota Agricultural
Community Foundation. Click this link to contribute: https://www.sdagfoundation.org
