Rapid City - Ron King was born on November 10, 1951 in Winner, South Dakota, the second of four children, to parents Boyd and Lillian King. He spent the first 10 years of his life growing up on a farm near Hamill, South Dakota. At age 10, his parents moved to a farm north of Chamberlain, South Dakota. Ron's youth was full of hard work, helping on his family farm. He attended the Center Moss rural school in Hamill, SD and then Harrison school in the West Point township near Chamberlain ,SD. In his youth and teen years he was active in basketball, baseball, football and wrestling. His compassion for the outdoors lead him to many positive adventures with dogs, horses, and some very close friends and family who enjoyed farm and ranch life, as well as hunting and fishing with him. Upon graduation from high school Ron worked for several construction contractors, including Gustafson contractors, constructing I-90 in South Dakota all while earning his education at South Dakota School of Mines where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in May 1978. While there, he became a member of the Theta Tau fraternity, which was again an opportunity for several close friends and adventures. Ron chose fun over fear again and joined the emerging new sport of skydiving during this decade. He and his friends won a trophy in 1976 but Ron also managed to pass this sport onto his younger brothers; who also enjoyed it for many years. He also enjoyed skiing and other outdoor sports. Upon graduation from college, Ron and a fraternity brother Craig Knock founded K&K Grass Unlimited, a successful hydro-seeding and landscaping company. The company grew and the partnership separated. As his career progressed, Ron worked with several construction companies. Notable projects include the initial Glenwood Canyon interstate highway construction near Glenwood Springs, CO and the Exxon Oil Shale project near Parachute, CO. In 1984, Ron was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that quickly disabled him and confined Ron to a long term care facility for many years. Ron hated MS but remained positive and was always in hope of a cure. He made several friends in the course of his disease and affected many lives with his positive outlook and courage. Ron was a member of the South Park United Church of Christ in Rapid City, SD and practiced a dedicated Christian life. Ron was a resident at the Golden Living Center Prairie Hills in Rapid City, SD, from 1998 until the time of his death on 11/24/14. He made that his home and was proud to be in the company of such great staff and residents there. He is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his sister, Karla Sims, of Chamberlain, SD, brother, Kevin (Carla) of Grand Junction, CO, and brother, Perry (Kristi), of Rapid City, SD, as well as 3 nieces and 3 nephews. Visitation will be from 9:00 am to 10:00 am Monday, December 1, 2014 at South Park United Church of Christ, 2201 3rd Street, with the funeral service scheduled for 10:00 am with Rev. Bruce Herrboldt officiating. Burial will be at Pine Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Rapid City. Memorials may be directed to South Park United Church of Christ.