Ronald Eugene Bentz

Ronald Eugene Bentz, 88, passed into eternal life at Lakeshore at Siena in Racine, Wisconsin on Tuesday April 23, 2024, having been surrounded by his family in his last days.

Ronald, affectionately known as REB, Y.A., and Dooda, was born in Racine, Wisconsin on April 4, 1936 to Leona R. (nee Lui) and Clifford P. Bentz. He grew up in Racine, the seventh of eleven children. Ron hit the ground running as a young boy, delivering newspapers beginning at age 8 to help bring money into the family, who often struggled to make ends meet. He also earned money helping with carpentry in the neighborhood, along with cleaning the bathroom and locker room at St. Catherine's High School to help pay his high school tuition. He attended Catholic schools, first Holy Name, where he also served as an altar boy, and then St. Catherine’s. One of Ron’s fondest childhood memories was the very rare and special treat of going to the movies in downtown Racine.

A multiple letter winner in football and track, Ron excelled in sports, enjoying a stellar career during his years at St. Cat's. Although he broke school records in track and was recognized as one of the fastest dashmen in Wisconsin, he was best known for his exceptional performance on the football field. He earned many local and state awards, garnering the attention of coaches and recruiters from Wisconsin colleges and universities. He received scholarship offers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and St. Norbert College in De Pere. Sadly, after signing on and then arriving that fall at St. Norbert, a clavicle fracture he had suffered two days before his high school graduation rendered him ineligible to continue in the program and he lost his scholarship, thus his opportunity to attend college. Capping this awful disappointment, Ron was driven to the highway by his coach, left to hitchhike back home to Racine.

His plans for college and football shattered, Ron enlisted in the Army for three years of specialized training and duty in communications work, ultimately assigned in Germany as a military cryptographer. Besides his important and exciting work in cryptography, Ron had the opportunity to travel through some of Europe, most notably Germany, France, Italy, and Amsterdam. A particularly meaningful time in his life, he often told stories of his time in the Army well into his final days.

After returning from Germany, Ron worked at Jacobsen Manufacturing Company before joining the Racine Fire Department where he served for 32 years. He met Sheila Kuchera from Kenosha, WI, and they married on October 21, 1961 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Kenosha. They lived in Racine where they raised two daughters, Sue and Julie, and enjoyed sixty-one years of marriage before Sheila’s death in November of 2022. Ron worked hard providing for his family, working full-time as a firefighter, and part-time at a lumber yard and painting homes. Within the first decade of his career, Ron earned his Associate Degree in Fire Science from the Racine Technical Institute (now Gateway Technical College) - the very first class to do so! During these years Ron enjoyed and was very talented at woodworking, building a spice rack, footstool, bookcase, dollhouse, rocking horse, and a large dining room hutch, among other treasures. He also enjoyed fishing, gardening - especially cucumbers and roses, and golfing with his brother Dan, Larry Christensen, and Ron Chiapete.

As a firefighter, Ron had an active and influential career in labor. He worked relentlessly over 3 decades to improve conditions and advocate for firefighters at the local, state, and national levels. He was particularly proud of his work in deferred compensation and pension, health insurance not only for active department members but for retirees and their families as well, and worker safety and bargaining rights. Ron served as president of the Racine Professional Firefighters Union Local 321 for about 9 years, and then served as secretary-treasurer of the union for about 15 years until his retirement in December 1992. He was elected to the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin's state executive board in 1971, and was elected their secretary-treasurer in 1976, holding that position until he stepped down in 1992 when he retired. The PFFW then honored him with the title Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus, the first time such an honor was bestowed. Over the years, Ron was chairperson of the United Way Labor Advisory Committee, executive board member of Racine Labor, vice president of the Racine County Alliance for Labor, vice president of the Racine County AFL-CIO Council, member of the Citizen's Study Committee on Metropolitan Government, was deeply involved in the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a long-time member of the Eagles Club, member of the Racine Retired Firefighters Association and the Retired Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, and worked on numerous other boards and committees.

In the 1980s, in addition to his full-time job with the Racine Fire Department and his part-time job as secretary-treasurer of the PFFW, Ron obtained an additional part-time job delivering for Office Supply in Racine in order to help put Sue and Julie through college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He still found time to meticulously tend to his lawn, in which he took great pride. He enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden, his fruit trees, and even experimented grafting a branch from a pear to an apple tree with success! He was a master at grilling and loved to cook, and was especially fond of making pork tenderloin, chicken cacciatore, beef stroganoff, spaghetti, and bread. A true social butterfly, Ron would strike up conversations with anyone he met. His social network was vast, and one could not go out in public with Ron without running into countless friends and colleagues of his. Ron retired as a Lieutenant on December 30, 1992. After retirement, Ron worked for a short time as an assistant to the Racine County Medical Examiner. He enjoyed his & Sheila’s many travels with brother Dan & his wife Judy to attractions throughout the United States, as well as those with brother-in-law Dick & his wife Marcia, including a grand trip to Europe in the early ‘90s. In 2002, he was elected to the St. Catherine's Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievements in football and track. Ron delighted in his three young grandchildren, especially as they helped in the garden and the kitchen - where they were often rewarded with home-made chocolate malts - and enjoyed following their pursuits as they grew older. He was an avid Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, and Badger football and basketball fan.

Ron leaves behind his daughters Sue (John) Skantz and Julie Mutter; grandchildren Lizzie Skantz, Joe Skantz, and Matthew Schreier; brothers Cliff (Dorothy) Bentz, Daniel (Judy) Bentz, and Thomas (Marie) Bentz; sisters Kathleen Bentz (Roger) Panyk and Linda (Tom) Hempel, brother-in-law Sherry Schwarm, many nieces and nephews, and special friend Bill Chiapete. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers John Bentz and Peter Bentz, sisters Shirley Dallman-Longmore, Doris Ann Mack, and Mary Jane Schwarm; son-in-law Holley Mutter; mother-in-law and father-in-law Helen and Stephen Kuchera; and in-laws Don Longmore, Barbara Bentz, Richard “Dick” and Marcia Kuchera, and John “Jack” Kuchera.

Ron’s family would like to thank Gail Terry, Dr. Paul Durbin, Compassus Hospice, Sherry Sorenson, Sara Herbst, Lakrisha, Saddaqa, Wanda, Ariel, Leatte, and especially Jacqui Harris-Jordan, Cynthia Alexander and Amanda Beecher who provided loving, compassionate care to Ron in his last years.

Funeral services celebrating Ron’s life will take place Saturday May 25, 2024 at Maresh-Meredith & Acklam Funeral Home, 803 Main St., Racine, WI. Visitation with family will begin at 9:30am with the service beginning at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, Ron’s family suggests donations in Ron’s name to their local fire departments or to St. Catherine’s High School in Racine.