Dewey L. Bates Jr., John Richard (Dick) Ronk
Dewey L. Bates Jr.
Dewey L. Bates Jr., 67, Kokomo, left this earth on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at his home. He was born May 9, 1959, in Kokomo, the son of the late D.L. and Joanne (Woolum) Bates.
Dewey attended Haworth High School. He was a long-distance semi-truck driver for many years. He served our country with the United States Navy. Dewey loved to fish and hunt in his younger years.
Dewey is survived by his sister Nancy (Jeff) Peterson; grandson Michael (Brittany) Mayfield and their three children; along with nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and a great-great niece and nephew.
Dewey was preceded in death by his parents; a son Little Dee; brothers Chuck Bates and Bill Bates; both sets of grandparents; and the love of his life for more than 35 years Julie Corbit.
A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Shirley & Stout Funeral Home & Crematory, 1315 W. Lincoln Road, Kokomo, with Pastor John Drexler officiating. Military honors will be provided by the United States Navy and the Kokomo VFW Military Rites Team. Friends are invited to visit with the family from 1 p.m. until time of service Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made in Dewey’s memory to Shirley & Stout Funeral Home to assist with final expenses.
John Richard (Dick) Ronk
John Richard (Dick) Ronk, 82, died on August 3, 2026, surrounded by loved ones.
Dick was born in Kokomo, IN, on September 5, 1943, to John E. and Martha Lee (Young) Ronk.
A 1961 graduate of Galveston High School, he played baseball and basketball and ran track.
Shortly after graduation, he attended Ball State University and joined Stellite (now Haynes), where he worked as a machine repairman, retiring in 2002 after 40 years. He grew up in and attended the Galveston United Methodist Church.
Dick’s life was devoted to his three daughters, Kathy, Vicki, and Karen, whom he shared with his former wife Susan Malicoat. He coached their Little League team (Mustangs) for nine years and attended every event they participated in. Dick and his daughters shared a special bond that continued through adulthood, and they were a source of great joy to him.
Dick lived a robust and adventurous life. He played both slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball. He traveled the world SCUBA diving in the Red Sea (Egypt), Belize, Guam, Truk Lagoon, the Caribbean, and the Galapagos. Other memorable trips included whitewater rafting in West Virginia. He loved golfing, gardening, fishing, bowling, and mowing his back 40.
Anyone who interacted with Dick for even a few moments quickly became aware of his lifelong love of the Chicago Bears. He loved Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, and Gale Sayers, the namesake of his beloved dog. Indiana basketball was another of Dick’s great passions, along with John Wayne’s films and Johnny Cash’s music.
As a Boy Scout, Dick achieved the Life rank. Members of his troop remained lifelong friends and met for monthly breakfasts. He also greatly enjoyed meeting up with longtime friends for Euchre Club (even though they never actually played euchre). No matter where Dick traveled, he always seemed to run into someone he knew. To him, there were no strangers - only people he hadn’t met yet.
Dick is survived by his three children: Kathy (Mike) Chenoweth of Galveston; Vicki (Robert) Schlotter of Walton; and Karen (Matt) Ellis of Indianapolis.
He is also survived by his brothers Dan (Beth) Ronk and Roger (Kathy) Ronk; his cherished nieces and nephews; and family member Trudy Brehmer.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Patsie Ronk.
A celebration of Dick’s life will be held Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at United in Faith Church of Galveston, 515 South Maple Street, Galveston, IN. A gathering of friends and family will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the service at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-9929, or Riley Children’s Foundation, PO Box 1787, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1787. Murray Weaver Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.