Rest in Peace, Dad

 

My dad, Ronald Klineyoung, passed away this week.  Long, written novels are out of the question so for now, I'll share his obituary.  I only knew my dad as a man with mental illness but he was a lot more and I'm sad that I never knew the person he was before schizophrenia took over his mind and body.  

When I visited him for the first time after his diagnosis the first thing he said was, "When are you getting married, Al?".  4 weeks and many wonderful friends and family later Jason and I finally tied the knot.  For many reasons- budget being one of them- we had held off on this seemingly unimportant event.  I always said I'd do it when the time was right, or when I had to.  That time had come.  

August 11, 2013

He was diagnosed in July and made it until December.  He was 59.  I'm handling it well.  I think being able to prepare helped me some.  I keep forgetting to do things like ordering the kids' Christmas presents, doing the dishes and decorating the tree but I'm sure that will get better.  I'm just sad for what he didn't have.  Anyway, here's the obituary.      
YORK- Ronald E. Klineyoung, 59, passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at Manor Care South following a courageous battle with cancer.
A celebration of life tribute service will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 21, 2013 at Heffner Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Inc., 1551 Kenneth Rd., York with Pastor Richard B. Starr officiating. A visitation will be from 7-8 p.m. on Friday and 3-4 p.m. on Saturday, both at the funeral home.
He was born in York on March 28, 1954, the son of the late Earl L. and E. June. (Ball) Klineyoung.
Ron graduated in 1972 from William Penn Senior High School. During high school he participated in marching band, symphonic band and was Vice President of the Executive Cabinet of his class. He held various jobs over the years. His interest included writing and music. He enjoyed talking about politics, religion and his family, especially his daughter and grandchildren. Ron was a member of Oasis Club and NAMI. He was a good friend to many throughout his life.
Mr. Klineyoung is survived by his daughter, Alexandra Weaver and her husband, Jason of York; four grandchildren; and two sisters, Debra Klineyoung of Pittsburgh and Diane S. Markey and her husband, Bradley of York.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness), 140 Roosevelt Ave., Suite 200, York, PA 17404 or www.nami.org.
His family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who have been involved in Ron’s care throughout the years.
Memorials:
NAMI, 140 Roosevelt Ave., Suite 200, York, PA 17404