Ronald Christman

Ronald Paul Christman

09-22-1935 - 05-04-2022, age 86, of Hoover, Alabama.

Born and raised in Greenville, PA to Robert and Lucille Christman, he married the former Janet Ramsey 06-18-55.  He served in the Naval Air Reserves from 1953-1961.  He started a career at Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, as a draftsman., and then worked as Track Supervisor for many years.  He and Janet moved to Birmingham in 1979 to work for Birmingham Southern Railroad and took early retirement in 1986.  He worked at various jobs until he retired in 1995.

He was a member of Hillside Presbyterian Church in Greenville, where he and Janet were members of the Sunshine Sunday School Class and was most recently a member of Oakmont Presbyterian Church in Hoover.  His senior years were filled with trips and activities at the Hoover Senior Center, where he held various positions. In 2019, he and Janet sold their home and moved to Galleria Woods Retirement Community, where they were active members of the community.  Ron enjoyed his morning swim in the community pool, calling Bingo, card games, and creating new friendships.

He enjoyed all sports, keeping his yard in meticulous condition, woodworking, joking around, playing cards, golf, spending time with his daughters, son-in-law and his two beloved grandsons and most recently his two precious great-grandsons.  In his early years, he, along with family and friends, finished the interior of his newly constructed home on Conneaut Lake Road in Greenville, PA.  He moved his family to Girard, PA for a short time and then returned to Greenville.  At his home on the Methodist Road in Greenville, he, along with family and friends and his special friend, Homer Stroud, added a master bedroom bath and a two-car garage.  The only work he hired was digging of the footer for the bath and pouring of the concrete floor for the garage.  The addition required concrete block laying, wood framing, plumbing, ceramic tile installation and laying up about 5,500 brick, which he said he would never tackle again.

He is survived by his wife, Janet, his two daughters, Sharon Christman, Nancy (Jeff) Clarke, grandsons - Shawn (Jordan) Clarke, and Corey Clarke and his two great-grandsons, Sims and Walker Clarke, his brother David (Wilma) Christman and sister Susan (Joe) Polimeni.

A private memorial service will be held.  Donations in his name can be made to the Hoover Senior Center or to Big Oak Ranch, 250 Jake Mintz Road, Gadsden, AL  35905.