Ronald Eugene Lantz born June 3, 1936, Santa Monica, CA, passed away on Tuesday March 19, 2024, Feast of St Joseph, in Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, at 5:52 pm. Born to Rosemary and Eugene Lantz, he has two siblings Jayelle Sargent and Norman James (passed away). He is also survived by his devoted wife of forty years, Marilyn nee Johnson, three children:  Michael Lantz (Jillian), Marybeth Campbell (Robert), and Melissa Dalu (Joseph), and two step children Patricia Rakoci and Carolyn Mueller (Eric), plus 12 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Ron worked at Southern California Edison for 36 years in the Information Technology department.  He retired in 1996.  He always enjoyed his work, but retirement immensely.

He was a ham operator starting at 15 when he built his own ham radio station.  His call sign was K6CJM aka California Junk Man.  He loved being a ham and talking to countries all over the world.  He enlisted in the United States Air Force when he graduated from San Gabriel Mission High School at 18.  He was stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Onna Point, Okinawa where he also set up the ham radio station there.  He was in Okinawa for 3 years, followed by one year in Lake Tahoe; plus he served 2 more years in the reserves.

Ron was always devoted to his Church, being Catholic and full of deep faith.  It was almost his whole life. He was an altar boy from 8-68 years old.  He was involved in Youth Groups and Youth Retreats.  He belonged to Corazon, helping Jenny Castillian visit prisons and dumps in Mexico, along with his children.  He built a home in one day with Corazon.  He taught CCD at St Barbara's in Santa Ana.  He knew many priests and deacons and even an Archbishop, AKA Archie Clavell.  He was a Sacristan at old Mission San Juan Capistrano and spent years doing maintenance at the old Mission as well. But most of all he was a 25 year member of the Lay Order of Premontre also known as the Lay Order Norbertines.

He was well known for keeping his cars for ever; 73 Dodge Colt, 78 Dodge Van, and a Saturn. His Dodge Van was a camper and he made a motorcycle trailer that held 4 motorcycles so he could take his kids riding in the desert.  He was a Boy Scout leader, too. He was also Mr Fixit to everyone and anyone.  He knew plumbing, electrical, auto repair, construction, washer and dryer repair.  You name it, he could fix it or else he would look it up and learn how to repair anything.

On August 25, 2014, he had a major Hemorrhagic stroke which took away all his long term memory, but he was still able to keep active.  He joined Saddleback College Adapted Kinesiology classes for years until he had his second ischemic stroke that took away his short term memory. That stroke happened in March 2020 right when Covid started.  Marilyn was his caretaker until she broke her wrist and could not take care of Ron's needs. Ron was in two Board & Care homes until October 2022, where he moved to Freedom Village Health Center in Memory Care, which is where he lived until he went to the hospital on March 16.

Services will be held April 24-viewing at McCormick & Son Mortuary, Laguna Hills from 5-8 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be held April 25 at St Nicholas Catholic Church in Laguna Woods at 10:30.  Military burial will be at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Covina, CA at 2:00 PM.

On April 27 there will be a memorial gathering at Freedom Village Pavilion from 2-4 PM.