Ronald Edwin Redman, 93, of Waterloo, died Aug. 13, 2024, at The Garden Place Senior Living in Waterloo.

Mr. Redman was born on Feb. 19, 1931, in Montebello, Calif.  He was the son of Edwin and Thelma (nee Haven) Redman. He graduated from Whittier Union High School, Whittier, Calif., in 1949 and attended Riverside City College before entering the U.S. Navy in 1951 where he served as an aircraft engine mechanic until being honorably discharge in 1955.

Ron’s passion was aviation and he chose Parks College (Aeronautical Technology) of Saint Louis University where he received a B.S. degree in 1958.  He was licensed as a private pilot and airframe power plant mechanic. He was employed as a civilian by the U.S. Army as an aeronautical engineer upon graduating from Parks.  

He continued his career as an engineer with the government where he retired in 1992 in Corpus Christi, Texas, as chief of the Depot Engineering Office of the Aviation System Command in St. Louis. While working in St. Louis, he served as systems engineer on the UH-1 and later the AH64 helicopter, among other assignments, including six months in Vietnam.  He was a past president of the Corpus Christi chapter of the American Helicopter Chapter.

A second passion in later years was motor-homing, spending winters in South Texas, and attending rallies with the Family Motor Coach Association Chapter Gateway Getaways.  He was a member of Masonic Lodges of Ventura, Calif., Corpus Christi, Texas, and most recently, Morris Lodge in Waterloo.  

He was also an honorary member of Columbia Masonic Lodge.  As a Mason he was proud to be a Shriner, and York Rite Mason, where he was past Commander of the York Rite Commandery, and also served the Corpus Christi York Rite as past District Deputy Grand Master of the Counsel and past District Deputy Grand High Priest of the Chapter.  As a veteran, he was a member of the American Legion and the VFW, both in Waterloo.

Mr. Redman was an active member of the St. Mark United Church of Christ in Arnold, Mo., where he served as past president of the consistory and the a St. Paul United Church of Christ in Corpus Christi, where he played a key role relocating and arranging the building of a new church.  He was also a member of Bethel United Church of Christ in Cahokia.

Surviving are his wife of 25 years, Marlene (nee Arras) Baldwin  Wrigley Redman; stepchildren Fred (Teresa) Kohut, Troy (Penny) Baldwin, Corey (Nancy) Baldwin, Linda (Roy) Boerm, Lynn (Gail) Cornelius, Diane (Jim) Wells, Julia (Mark) Cornelius and Laura Spangenberg; along with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Mr. Redman was preceded in death by his parents; two wives, Kathleen (nee Canman) Kohut Redman and Norma Jean (nee Siekmann) Lambert Redman; stepson Robert Lambert;  son-in-law Roy Spangenberg; brother Rev. Nolan (Vira) Redman; and sisters Glenus (William) Bateman and Marilyn (Julian) Egusquiza. 

Visitation is 4-8 p.m. Aug. 18 at Braun Family Funeral Home, Columbia. A Masonic service will be held at 7:30 p.m.  

A funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 19 at the funeral home with Chaplain Thomas Lovig officiating.  

Burial will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis.

Memorials may be made to: Alzheimer’s Association; or Hospice of Southern Illinois.