Obituary of Ronald I. Lyons

A private graveside service was held in Santa Cruz for Ron Lyons who passed away peacefully in Aptos, following a lengthy illness. Born in Los Angeles, California, he was 79 years old. He was raised in Los Angeles and served his country in the US Air Force. Ron resided in Santa Cruz County for the past 42 years. He earned his bachelor's degree from U.C. Berkeley, and his M.B.A. from Stanford. For more than 30 years he worked in the mortgage banking industry as the owner of Redwood Coast Mortgage in Aptos. Ron taught real estate finance at Cabrillo College, and leaves many dear friends, colleagues, former clients and students that will remember him for his dedication to them and to his profession. An avid runner, Ron was a familiar face in the running community of Santa Cruz. For many years, he could be seen running in his brightly colored T-shirts or clown wig along the Old San Jose Road or in the Wharf-to-Wharf races. Ron also had a passion for the outdoors. Ron was an Eagle Scout, and proudly volunteered in the council that both his sons belonged to. His family will forever cherish very special memories of Ron's love of backpacking and classic cars. He is survived by his sons, Chris Lyons (Ellen) of Salinas and Shawn Lyons of Soquel, his grandchildren Julia and Lily, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Ron was preceded in death by his loving bride Rosemary Lyons in 2006, and his daughter Kathy Lyons in 1988. He was laid to rest beside his wife and daughter in a private ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery in Santa Cruz. Any kind acts of charity may be made in Ron's memory to the Porter Memorial Public Library of Soquel or the American Red Cross.