Final Salute

Ronald J. Wampler, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother passed away December 22nd, 2024, in The Villages, Florida. He was born August 30th, 1949, in Princeton, Indiana. Joe was the fifth of eight children born to Merlin and Marguerita Wampler.

Joe spent the first 10 years of his childhood growing up with his brothers and sisters in Allendale, Illinois. Those years in Allendale were his most memorable. Joe’s Father, Merlin, worked in the oil fields and because of oil’s decline in the 1950’s, Joe and his family moved to Sterling, Colorado. In 1965, Joe and his family moved back to Illinois to live in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. Joe graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 1967. Two years after graduating High School, Joe enlisted in the Navy where he served in a special company called “The White Sox”. Joe started his Navy career stationed in Newport, Rhode Island, and Gulf Port, Mississippi where he served with the Seabee’s. As a cook in the Navy, Joe spent two years at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago, Illinois preparing meals for boot camp. During this time, Joe met the love of his life and wife of 51 years, Susan. Susan and Joe were married on November 19th, 1970. Joe’s final Naval career stop at Hallest Station, a very remote location in Antarctica, where he lived for about 9 months. Joe was definitely not a fan of the cold in Antarctica, but the experience was one he never forgot. While Joe served his final months in Antarctica, Susan gave birth to their first son Tony on March 19th, 1972, in Sterling, Colorado. Joe was reunited with Susan and their son Tony when he was discharged from the Navy in May of 1972. Following his Navy career, Joe became a police officer for a very short period of time in 1972, but ultimately moved his family back to Illinois in 1973, where he began his career at Caterpillar Tractor Co. He completed a two year welding and fabrication apprenticeship program and soon was promoted to Assembly Line Supervisor. In 1975, Joe and Susan welcomed their second son Kevin in Streator, Illinois. Joe and his family lived in a few towns in Northern Illinois throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, and in 1987, Joe moved his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado. This was a big move for Joe. Susan’s family lived in Colorado and Joe loved going there for vacations. Joe spent the next 31 years living in Colorado Springs and ,where he received his Bachelors Degree from Colorado Christian University. He retired from Evoque Water Technologies in 2018. Joe’s manufacturing career path was passed on to his sons who both have successful careers related to manufacturing. After Joe retired he was able to spend a lot of time in Florida enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. Joe’s wife Susan passed away in 2021 in Colorado Springs, Co. Joe then moved to The Villages, Florida where he lived with his brother and sister-in-law Jim and Beth Wampler. Joe loved living in Florida with his family. He spent four very special years enjoying the sun, golf, water volleyball, and making some very good friends. Joe was blessed to see his brother Jim every day.

Joe loved people, and he loved his family more than anything. Joe was easy to talk with and usually tried to keep the conversation light which always ended up with a laugh. Joe was proud of his two sons . He was very active in their lives. Not a week went by that he didn’t talk with them, and Joe often traveled to see Tony and Kevin so that he could spend as much time with them as possible. Joe especially enjoyed an annual golf trip to Mount Carmel each year with his sons and his brothers. This year, he was delighted that his grandson Maverick made the trip as well. Joe was very close to his siblings and talked to them and traveled with them all the time. Joe loved to see new places, but he mostly loved the time with his family. He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend.

Joe’s warmth and willingness to help people touched so many people during his life and he will be missed. Joe is preceded in death by his parents Merlin and Marguerita Wampler, his wife Susan Wampler, two brothers Ed Wampler and Kenneth Wampler. Joe leaves behind his family who loved him very much: Children, Michael “Tony” Anthony Wampler and Fiance’ Tifany Wyatt of Knoxville, Tennessee and Kevin James Wampler and wife Kelly of Poway, California; Grandchildren, Sydney Wampler, Maverick Wampler, Mason Wampler and Tanner Castle; Siblings, Jack Wampler and wife Wiletta, Marsha Campbell and husband Wes, James “Jim” Wampler and wife Beth, Peggy Mahnke, Scott Wampler, along with many loving nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 24, 2025, at Dignity Memorial Life Celebration Center in Wildwood, Florida, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and in May 2025 a private burial service will be held for family in Allendale, Illinois.