Obituary of Ronald K. Pendleton

Dr. Ronald K. Pendleton, Ph.D., a 35-year resident of Riverside County and a three-year resident of Banning, passed away on Thursday, January 29, 2015, at his home in Sun Lakes. He is survived by his wife, Elin Pendleton of Riverside, CA; his friend Debbi Motts of Landers, CA; his daughter Tammy Bontranger of Greencastle, Indiana; his sister Susan Kenney and her husband Jim Kenney of Orangevale, CA; a nephew Scott Miller and his wife Tracy Miller of Simi Valley, CA; a great niece and nephew, Jarad and Emily Miller, also of Simi Valley, CA. Ron was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 17, 1940. He spent his early life in Manhattan Beach. His formal education included an A.A. degree in Education from El Camino Community College in Torrance, California; a B.A. degree in Psychology from Humboldt State College in Arcata, California; an M.A. degree in Industrial Arts from California State University, Long Beach; and a Ph.D. degree in Education/Technology from Arizona State University,Tempe. In addition he is a graduate of the USAF Officer Training School, the USAF Pilot Training School and all three levels of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Reserve Law Enforcement Training Academy. Before completing his doctoral degree he worked as a research associate at Arizona State University; an industrial arts teacher at The American School in Stavanger, Norway; manager and chief pilot for Santa Fe Air Service in Hooper Bay, Alaska; a commercial pilot for Continental Air Service in Vientiane, Laos; a combat pilot and forward air controller for the United States Air Force in Viet Nam; a social worker for the Humboldt County Welfare Department in Eureka, California; and a technical illustrator for North American Aviation in Downey, California. Until his passing, Ron served as a professor of education in the Career and Technical Teacher Education Program in the College of Education at California State University, San Bernardino. He began at the University in 1981, and just completed his 34th year. He worked primarily with mature adults who have been successful in business and industry and want to become teachers. He was active in the local community, serving as president of the Inland Empire Symphony League, secretary of the Inland Empire Symphony Board of Directors, President of the San Bernardino North Rotary Club and a reserve deputy sheriff for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. He was the founding trustee for the CSUSB Gamma Nu chapter of Epsilon Pi Tau (international honorary for professions in technology) and had served on a wide variety of community and university organizational and advisory committees. For the past 11 years, Ron practiced the martial art of aikido, earning his black belt after eight years of vigorous training, two days after his 72nd birthday in 2012. In Ron’s lifetime he touched the lives of many and has left his legacy in the students he taught, the Aikidoka he trained with, the friends he made and the love and joy he shared with all.