Ronald G. Severe, 81, of North Fork went to be with The Lord on June 1, 2017, surrounded by his family.
A beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother, he had a love for the mountains, animals, gardening and most of all his family.
He was born on Sept. 18, 1935, in Sanger, Calif., to Glen and Marie Severe. Ron was raised at Bass Lake until he was seven years old and then moved to North Fork in 1942.
After graduating from Sierra High School in 1953, he enlisted in the Air Force and served in Germany as an Air Traffic Controller. In 1957 he returned to North Fork and worked at the Mill until becoming an Air Traffic Controller for the Federal Aviation Administration.
In the summer of 1963 he met the love of his life, Carole Swanson and on May 30, 1964, they were married. In 1967 they welcomed their first of four children.
Ron’s passion for the outdoors and spending time with family led him to get involved with the Mountain Area Ski School. Ron and Carole both became board members for the ski school and served in that capacity for the next 30 years. His knowledge of the Sierra and his love of nature also was displayed as he served on the Resources Conservation Districts Board for several years.
After his retirement in 1986 from the Federal Aviation Administration, he worked in real estate and in 2008, he and Carole started up Bass Lake Home Rentals.
Ron is survived by his wife of 53 years, Carole, of North Fork; Children Michelle Wayte, her husband Ryan, and their children Skylar and Hunter, also of North Fork; Shannon Solis, her husband Isidoro and their children Nicolas and Kassandra, of Wofford Heights; Erik Severe and his daughter McKenzie of Oakley; Kevin Severe, his wife Stephanie and their children Koa and Colt of Tacoma, Wash.; his great grandson Jacob Solis; his sister Jone Taylor and her husband Joe of North Fork and their daughters; and his loving and loyal dogs Oreo and Dudley.
A celebration of Ron’s life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at Miller’s Landing, Bass Lake, California.
