Ronald Levine

Ron Levine spent the majority of his life as a principal, coach, official, church-goer, volunteer and Chicago White Sox fan.

To those who knew him best, though, he was a man of strong faith, who cherished time spent with his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many friends.

Levine, 89, of Creston, died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, at Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston.

Open visitation will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday, with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. at Powers Funeral Home, junction of highways 34 and 25, in Creston. Celebration of life services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Salem Lutheran Church in Creston. Pastor Brian Jack will officiate. Burial will be at Mamre Cemetery near Stanton. Memorials may be directed to Salem Lutheran Church or Kiwanis Club.

Ron was born Aug. 19, 1927, in Stanton to Carl and Hilda Levine. He graduated from Stanton High School in 1944 at 16 years old and then worked on the farm for two years until enlisting in the Army in 1946, where he served the country in Korea. Upon returning, he attended Simpson College, where he was captain of the baseball team and played on the basketball team. He graduated from Simpson in May 1951.

Ron began his decades-long career in education and coaching in Henderson in 1951. He later went to Elk Horn in 1953, before taking his first administrative position in 1964 in Schleswig. He came to Creston in 1968 as assistant principal and athletic director. He became Creston High School principal in 1975 and retired in that position in 1992. His educational and volunteer career led to many honors, including Creston Citizen of the Year, entry into the Iowa Athletic Director Hall of Fame and as an inaugural member of the Creston High School Hall of Fame.

Upon retirement, he remained involved in the community through his various volunteer endeavors. He was a Lieutenant Governor of the Kiwanis Club organization, delivered Meals on Wheels, volunteered as a guide at Greater Regional Medical Center, worked with Creston elementary students, was the official scorekeeper for high school boys and girls basketball and served on various Salem Lutheran Church committees.

Along the way, he coached high school girls and boys basketball and baseball and seventh-grade boys basketball. During his early years in coaching, he was widely known as a successful girls and boys basketball coach in Henderson and Elk Horn.

To accommodate his administrative responsibilities, he stepped down as a high school basketball coach. However, throughout his life, baseball remained a constant.

As a child, Ron took a keen interest in baseball. He started his baseball journey in Stanton as a member of the high school baseball team, and later as an infielder for Simpson College and the Stanton town team. He also coached that same town team, before coaching baseball at every school he served. All the while, he was a devoted Chicago White Sox fan and passed that love of baseball and the White Sox to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include sons, Gary (Julie) Levine of Anthem, Arizona, and Roger (Cathy) Levine of Hinsdale, Illinois; two daughters-in-law, Lisa Levine McLaughlin of Pleasant Hill and Ann Levine of Creston; son-in-law Jerry Walker of Alleman; brother-in-law Don (Mary) Phillips of Ballwin, Missouri; 10 grandchildren, Sara (Pedro) Perez de Tejada, Matt (Melissa) Levine, Jeff (Amy) Levine, Scott (Christina) Levine, Ryan, Nick, Alex, Bryan, Sophie and Jack Levine; and 10 great-grandchildren, Roman, Evelyn, Hayden, Rebecca, Carter, Peyton, Phoebe, Emmett, Talon Levine and Rafael Perez de Tejada; along with many friends.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joan in 2014; daughter Cindy Walker in 1991; three sons, Kirk in 2015, Greg in 2006 and Mark in infancy; brother Allen Levine and sister Dorothy Lundgren.