Personal Stories

This section of this site is a place for you to share your experiences or those of a loved one in dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. What helped in the day to day struggle - foods, treatment(both traditional and non-traditional), and emotional support...

Please use our contact page to submit your stories and we will post them to the site.

My Memories of Ron

"El Rondo", was a character Ron used to play when we would join the Foley Family at their vacation home in Vermont, over two decades ago. He was my first husband, Jimmy's best friend at Travelers back in the 1980's. They were polar opposites in appearance and personality; yet they found something special in each other that made them 'best of friends'. Jimmy cared about Ron the way he would a brother. When Jim died suddenly in 1989, it was Ron & Barbara (with a very young Katie) who came to the UConn Hospital Emergency Room, and helped me begin to face a new world without him. For all of the loving, kindnesses the Foley Family showed me during those very dark times, I am eternally indebted.

Later when it was time to introduce my new love to friends & family, it was right over to Ron & Barbara's house I went. Jon and I worked together and it was not public knowledge that we were dating. Wouldn't you know that the night we are visiting at the Foley house, our bosses' wife decides to stop over to return something she had borrowed from Barbara (also friends). Without batting an eye, Ron tossed Jonathan into the basement with his shoes to follow, erasing all evidence of his presence and keeping our little secret....at least for awhile longer. Twelve years later, it was Ron who tired of Jon's and my inability to choose a name for our yet unborn baby.....so he named our son "Steamboat". Later, when we named him Zachary.....Ron called him "Steamboat Zach". Zachary was only 3 years old when Ron left us. Still, as he approaches his ninth birthday, Zach knows all about his Uncle Ron, who gave him his first nickname, and who left many more marks upon this earth before moving on. Ron lives in the memories, lives and loves of those he has left behind here. We try to do him proud......and even though he would most probably read this and make a scrunched up face to indicate "too much schmaltzy crap".....we know he sees us even now. Thanks El Rondo.....say 'Hola to the Kark' when you see him at the fishing hole!!!

Gratefully,
Mandy, Jon & Steamboat Zach

".....You don't have a life, You are Life." Eckhart Tolle

Ron's generosity and childlike joy were infectious. Please join me in remembering the man who left most of us with a smile or a special memory. How many of you have had the pleasure of cruising or fishing on one of his boats, or have seen your life flash before you as you joined him for a "spin" in one of his fast cars? This is your chance to share with us, his endless passion for life...

Please contact info@ronsrun.org to submit your story. We will update this section with new stories as soon as we can.