Arden Hills - 89, of Arden Hills, MN passed away peacefully on December 26, 2025. Ron was born on December 10, 1936, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, to John Swiers Brown and Frances Irene (Foster) Brown. He grew up in a farming community near Olds, Iowa.

Ron graduated from Olds High School in 1955 and received a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa in 1960. Ron then obtained his Professional Engineering (PE) license in Iowa and several other states, launching a long and respected career in the electric utility industry.

Ron started at Stanley Consultants in Muscatine, Iowa in 1960. He first designed electrical substations and later focused on long-term power system planning studies. He spent three years with Power Systems Engineering in Madison, Wisconsin (1988-1991), before joining East Kentucky Power Cooperative in Winchester, Kentucky where he served as Vice President of Planning and Technology until retirement. He was proud to serve on the Iowa Board of Engineering Examiners, where he helped accredit engineering colleges across the country.

On June 17, 1961, Ron married Roberta "Bobbie" Lynn Rich, whom he had known since childhood. Together, they shared more than six decades of marriage and built a life rooted in faith, service, and family.

Ron was deeply involved in church communities. At First Presbyterian Church in Muscatine, Ron served as an elder, an usher, and led a major remodeling project. Ron led the audio/visual team at Second Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky.

A lifelong learner and hobbyist, Ron was an amateur (ham) radio operator. In retirement, he volunteered with AARP's Tax-Aide program and Habitat for Humanity. Ron enjoyed taking history classes through OLLI.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents; and by his younger sister, Beverley (Brown) Howard and her husband Jerry Howard. He is survived by his beloved wife, Bobbie; his three children: Barry Brown (Stephanie Emlet Brown), John "David" Brown (Lorie Scott Brown), and Maria (Brown) Quehl (Tim Quehl); and his grandchildren, Jonah Brown, Miranda Brown (Michael Hudecek), Foster Quehl, and Ethan Quehl.

Ron will be remembered for his quiet competence, steady service, deep faith, and lifelong commitment to helping keep the lights on—both literally and figuratively—for the communities he served.

Ron's life will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on January 31, 2026, at Nativity Lutheran Church, 3312 Silver Lake Rd NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. The celebration can be streamed live or later from the YouTube channel @NativityLutheranChurch.