Obituary of Ronald Allen Royne

SLINGERLANDS- Ron Royne died peacefully in his sleep on May 4, 2022, with his beloved wife, Terry, and his faithful dog, Petey, by his side. Ron was born in Chicago, Illinois to the late Leah and Bernie Royne. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many. He loved life and had a way of lighting up a room with his smile, his sense of humor, and his kind and gentle personality. Ron loved music, especially attending live shows, and he imparted this to his children and grandchildren. Ron was a social worker who started his career working at Grant Hospital in Chicago. This is where he met his wife, Terry. After a whirlwind romance, they welcomed their daughter Nikki to the world and married in April of 1978. Shortly after, they moved to upstate NY, where Terry had grown up. In 1981, Andrew was born. Family was everything to Ron. He taught his children that being close as siblings was the most important thing because, in the end, siblings only have each other. He worked for many years at the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) as a program coordinator. He had a second career as a massage therapist and enjoyed his time working at the Crystal Spa in Saratoga. During his retirement years, Ron was a caregiver and friend to his longtime OASAS colleague, Bob Gilson. He enjoyed working at the Honest Weight Food Coop and volunteering as both a member of the Delmar Farmer’s Market Board of Directors and an usher at The Egg Center for Performing Arts. Everyone who met Ron loved him. He was a familiar face around Delmar and couldn’t go anywhere without running into someone he knew. People gravitated toward Ron. He had a way of making whoever he was with feel that they were the most important person to him. He loved and was loved. Ron is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Terry Royne; children Nikki (Tim) O’Meara, and Andrew (Nathalie) Royne; grandchildren Charlotte, Ruby, Ani, and Vivian; sibling Deborah Royne-Ellis; nephews Jeremy (Rita) Pick, and Shawn McAvoy; brother-in-law Bob (Tina) Stephany; cousins Allison (Dan) Weideman, Fran (Ron) Moss, Dan (Arlene) Uditsky, Daveeda Uditsky; and many other extended nieces, nephews, and cousins. Ron had many friends, too many to mention. He is survived by his closest longtime friends from his Chicago days, Rick (Leti) Carson, Jay (Ruth) Karant, Andy Paulan, and Marc (Karen) Voyvodich and the late Jim Kelleher and Michael Kane. Cremation took place through the care of Simple Choices, Inc. A memorial service to celebrate Ron’s life will be held on May 13th at 11am at B’Nai Sholom Synagogue on Whitehall Road in Albany. Please contact Nikki or Andy for the live stream link. Ron was a three-time cancer survivor and animal lover. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or Peppertree Rescue. To leave a special message for the family, please visit: SimpleChoicesCremation.com