Ron Horman

Ronald "Ron" E. Horman, 88, longtime Puget Island resident, passed away at Hospice with family by his side, on February 7, 2023.

He was born June 19, 1934 to Edwin and Mildred (Baker) Horman. He graduated in the upper 10 percent of his class of 300 in 1951 in Milwaukie, Ore.

In his youth he spent summers on Puget Island with his Uncle Harvey Moore's family, woking the hay fields. Ron joined the Army in 1954, coming back to the Island, staying with Crist and Carol Pedersen, where they treated him like one of their own. It was there he met the love of his life, the girl next door, Jean Marie Olson. They married in 1957 and moved to Florence, Ore., when he went logging. While there he co-founded and was president of "Beach Combers" car club affiliated with the Hot Rod Assocation, of which he was a lifetime member.

He worked a variety of positions in Portland as a district manager for American Honda Motorcycles, Dahl's Electric at the parts counter, a deckhand and then captain on the tugs for Smith Tug & Barge. He mentored his dear friend, Bob Huffman, opening Muffler Hut in Longview. In the 1970s he went to work with Steve Averres Autowrecking and restoring VWs. Then he retired from the parts counter at Larry's Auto in Cathlamet in 2011, at the age of 76.

Ron's main interests were cars and racing, be it motorcycles with the "Sidewinders" in Portland, Ore., or in Castle Rock with "Mt. St. Helens Motorcycle Club." He raced boats in the Portland to Astoria's Regatta and with the Averres Brother Racing VWs in Scapoose, Ore., and Puyallup, Wash. He loved talking cars and troubleshooting with friends and fellow enthusiasts. Ron was a regular at car shows all around the Pacific Northwest, bringing home a vast collection of trophies. He loved 4-wheeling and hunting with his son and the Randall family and fishing with his brother-in-law Vern Olson on the Columbia and the Elochoman. He loved spending time with his family and grandkids who will miss him dearly.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents Ed and Rose (Moore) Horman, brothers Leonard and Robert White, his in-laws Sam and Hilda Olson and brother-in-law Vern Olson.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years Jean; son Larry (Lesley) Horman of Puget Island; grandchildren Shelly Ann and Jason Fish of Lincoln, Rhode Island, Joseph and Courtney Jackson of Clatskanie, Ore., Larry Horman II and Taylor of Longview and 13 great grandchildren.

There will be a private graveside service at his request. A "Celebration of a Life Well-Lived" will be held in June around the time of the Dollars for Scholars car show with an announcement in the newspaper of where and when.

Memorial contributions may be made in Ron's name to the Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 498, Cathlamet, WA 98612 or the Cathlamet Fire Dept., First Aid Division, P.O. Box 68, Cathlamet, WA 98612.

- Paid Obituary -