RONALD N. TOKAY

May 5, 1933 - June 12, 2007
GRANGER - Ronald N. Tokay, 74, died following an illness at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, 2007, in his residence. Commander Tokay was born on May 5, 1933, in South Bend, to the late Emery A. and Sophie C. (Barna) Tokay, and had returned to the South Bend area in 1998.

On January 29, 1954, in Rockville, IN, he married Marlene M. Serritella, who survives. Also surviving are his children, Brenda Warner (Herbert) Moorman of Ashton, MD, Mark (Edna) Tokay of Swannanoa, NC, and Lori (James) Higgins of Ashburn, VA; and 13 grandchildren, Christine Warner, Kirsten and Kevin Eike, James, Courtney, and Erin Higgins, and Kaitlyn, Matthew, Eric, Jonathan, Cameron, Jacob and Caroline Grace Tokay.

Ron served his country in the United States Navy for 23 years.

He graduated from South Bend Central High School in 1951. He then attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and received his bachelor's degree in business and marketing. He was in the NROTC while at Miami and then went on to Supply Corps School in Athens, GA. From there he went into the Navy as an ensign, a naval officer. He served on three ships, the USS Navasota and the USS Cacapon, two oiler ships, and the USS Sylvania, a supply ship with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. He lived in Long Beach and San Francisco, CA, Long Island, NY, Naples, Italy, and Vienna, Virginia. He went back to Italy for two years and then on to Nashua, NH, as liaison officer for all military at Sanders Associates. He then moved back to Virginia with his family and retired in 1978 as commander (SC) USN. Ron took a civilian job at Batelle Laboratories in Richland, WA, for eight years. While in Washington state he bought a houseboat of 31 feet, cruised the Columbia River, moved to Santa Fe, NM, where he bought a 26-foot Carver, and cruised near the Colorado border. He retired to Los Alamos National Labs in New Mexico, which was run by the University of California. After 10 years he moved to Granger in 1998, and built a home there in 1999. While in Granger he bought a 331/2-foot Carver cruiser, which is currently moored in New Buffalo, MI.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, June 15, in the Welsheimer Family Funeral Home North, 17033 Cleveland Road. Cremation will take place at Welsheimer Crematory. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park at a later date. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today, June 14, in the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 111 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637. Family and friends may send e-mail condolences to welshfh@yahoo.com.

Published by South Bend Tribune on Jun. 14, 2007.

03/07/2023 EJS