Sonoda, Ronald "Ron" Obituary

Sonoda, Ronald "Ron" attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, CA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Sonoda, Ronald "ron".

Graduation Year	Class of 1957
Date of Passing	Jan 24, 2025
About	Elk Grove, California - Ronald "Ron" Sonoda, 85, passed away peacefully, entering Nirvana on Friday, January 24, 2025 in Elk Grove, CA. He spent his last weeks in the company of close friends and family. Ron was born in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1950, when he was 10, his parents moved from Mountain View, HI to Elk Grove, CA to give him and his siblings better educational opportunities. Ron became the first in his family to graduate from high school (from Elk Grove High in '57), the first to go to college (at UC Berkeley), the first to fail out of college, then eventually the first to graduate from college (from Sacramento State University) and continue on to get a graduate degree (PhD in Plant Pathology from UC Davis). After graduate school in Plant Pathology at UC Davis, he worked for University of Florida at the Indian River Research and Education Center, Fort Pierce, FL, from 1969. After retirement, we returned to CA & resided in El Cerrito, CA, then returned “home”to Elk Grove, CA, where his siblings and families still reside.) Ron and his wife Lorraine took the first of their many cross country road trips when he joined the faculty of the University of Florida in 1969 at the Indian River Research and Education Center. Ron thought they wouldn't stay long since it was his first job, but he ended up working there more than thirty years, his entire professional/academic career. Ron raised his family in Ft. Pierce, FL. While he was an accomplished academic working on diseases in citrus, tomatoes and other local crops, Ron preferred to be known for playing joyfully in the daily lunch volleyball games, for running road races, for being a good friend, and for being a committed and involved parent. After his retirement, Ron finally kept his promise to return Lorraine to California when they moved to El Cerrito, CA in 2003. While Lorraine worked, Ron kept busy teaching Tai Chi and delivering Meals on Wheels until he no longer drove due to his dementia. Once Lorraine retired, Ron would accompany her to many quilting and fabric shows, to the movies, and to many Bay Area cultural events. His life came full circle when he and Lorraine moved back to Elk Grove in 2021, where he especially enjoyed the company of their many local relatives and friends. Even with dementia, as recently as early January, Ron was still a delightful conversationalist, sharp witted and quick to laugh. Ron was preceded in death by parents Fujiko (Tomono) and Masami and by brothers Henry and Tom. He is survived by his wife Lorraine, children Koji (Erin) and Aiko (Kirk Uchida), and grandchildren Emerson and Kelton. He will be missed by brother Wendell (Wanda), sister Frances Nakashoji (Norio), sister-in-law Janet Sonoda (Tom), and so many more people. Please join us to celebrate his life on Saturday February 15, 2025 at Sacramento Memorial Lawn, 6100 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento. Memorial services will begin at 11 a.m. with time for visitation prior. Attendees are invited to wear aloha attire as a tribute to Ron. The memorial service will also be streamed online: https://smlfh.com/. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in memory of Ron Sonoda to one of these organizations: Alzheimer's Association - Support Alzheimer's research to cure this devastating disease - Ron was a lifelong scientist. https://www.alz.org/. The Aaron Project - Support graduating high school seniors in St. Lucie County to further their education - Ron spent more than 30 years in St. Lucie County and went to college because he had a scholarship. Throughout his life, he honored this by helping subsequent generations of scholars and professionals grow their careers. https://www.theaaronproject.org/. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store. Published by The Sacramento Bee from Feb. 3 to Feb. 8, 2025. Memories and Condolences for Ronald Sonoda Sponsored by Sacbee.com.