Ronald J. Roethel

The world lost a great guy on Sept. 30, 2026, when Ronald J. Roethel of Port Washington passed away at the age of 76 following an allergic reaction to a bee sting and a fall that broke his neck. After surgery and seven days in the hospital, he lost the courageous fight. 

Ron was born March 29, 1950, to Gerhard and Dorothy (nee Meggers) Roethel in Sheboygan. He was a long-time member of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Sheboygan.

Ron graduated from Sheboygan North High School and immediately enrolled in an apprenticeship program to be a truck mechanic working in a number of truck garages. He then worked for the Sheboygan County Highway Department for 31 years before retiring in 2009. He was currently working part time at the Kennedy Ford dealership in Sheboygan Falls.

Ron enjoyed classic cars, having completely restored a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable that he worked on for many years. When it was completed, he sold it and bought his first Harley-Davidson motorcycle and enjoyed many years of riding with family and friends. He also enjoyed modified stock car racing and was part of the pit crew for Kenny Marquardt for many years. He was a regular at the Plymouth Dirt Track every Saturday night. He also served as a volunteer fireman for the Town of Wilson in Black River for more than 25 years. 

Ron married Karen Riviers in 1993 in Las Vegas and they lived in Black River until she died in 2002. In 2008, he met another Karen (Walsh), a fellow Harley-Davidson rider, through the HOG Chapter, and they were married in 2010. It wasn’t until he married Karen No. 2 and retired that he starting traveling on long distance motorcycles trips, cruises, bus trips and even trips to Alaska in 2016 and Costa Rica in 2023. Ron was also a great handyman and could fix just about anything. 

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Karen and a nephew, Erich Roethel. 

He is survived by his loving wife Karen No. 2 (Walsh), two stepdaughters, Kimberly (Larry) Dobberfuhl and Kelly (Allen) Beck, and six grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, Robert (Laurie) Roethel, niece Tanya (Todd) King, nephews Quintin (Candace) Roethel and Corey (Jennifer) Roethel and five great-nieces and nephews, as well as many long-term friends.

He was born, blinked, and it was over. No buildings named after him, no monuments erected in his honor. But he did have a chance to know and love each and every friend as well as all his family members. 

I’m sure he would say, “Don’t cry because I’m gone, instead be happy that I was here.” Today he is happy and in the arms of the Lord he loved.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Olson Funeral Home, 1132 Superior Ave., Sheboygan, Wis. Visitation was from 10 a.m. to noon with a service at noon. Burial was at Sheboygan Falls Cemetery.