Ronald Beachy
Ronald Milton Beachy, 84, was surrounded by his loving family as God called him home April 13, 2024. He was a devoted and beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son, brother, friend, teacher and coach.
Funeral services were held April 22 at Faith Lutheran Church in Staples with Pastor Mary Suomala Folkerds officiating.
His final resting place will be the cemetery at Lanstad Gatzke.
Ronald Beachy was born September 30, 1939 to Jonas and Katherine (Kramer) Beachy in Plain City, OH. As a young child he moved to Leader with his parents where his father was the minister at Leader Mennonite Church. Ron attended Hazel Dell country school and Staples High School, graduating in 1957. After graduation, he attended Concordia College in Moorhead and was a four year member of the Cobber football team. He graduated in 1963, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Education. While at Concordia, Ron met the love of his life who would become his wife of more than 60 years.
Ronald Beachy was united in marriage to Naomi Engevik on June 15, 1963 at United Lutheran Church in Gatzke. The young couple made their home in Bemidji and Ron began his teaching career at Red Lake High School. He taught high school biology and began a storied coaching career that would span over 50 years. It was here that Ron and Naomi welcomed their first daughter, Jessica into the world. A second move to Lisbon, ND found Ron teaching and coaching once more. In Lisbon he coached football, basketball and track. During this time, the couple welcomed daughter number two, Ramelle. In 1968, Ron moved his wife Naomi and their young family to Staples where they would welcome three sons (Arden, Collin and Ryan), raise their family, live and work in the community for the next 45 years. Faith and family is the foundation they built their family on. Summertime road trips were always a grand adventure with the five kids packed into the car or camper. They visited numerous states, competing in track meets along the way, visiting family and friends and making life-long memories. These memories are lovingly shared at family gatherings and live on in the memories of their grandchildren.
Ron was never exclusively a teacher, he was always a teacher and a coach. Truthfully, coaching and mentoring athletes was his passion. He was a multi-sport, multi-season type of coach. He coached football, basketball and track and field. He positively touched countless high school students and athletes’ lives. Throughout his coaching career at Staples he accomplished much, including the 1985 State Class A Girls Basketball Championship and 1988 State Class A Football Runners Up finish. But it was Track and Field where his coaching accomplishments and accolades overflowed. His impact and influence on the sport is cemented in history. He coached numerous individual state champions during his storied coaching career, including his three sons and one of his granddaughters (Jaelin). His Cardinal track and field teams earned two MSHSL Class A Team Championships (1979 and 1989) and one Class A True Team State Championship (1989). Ron is one of the founders of the True Team State concept and was recognized at the True Team State Meet, along with the other founders for their vision and effort in making the concept a reality that’s still in place today and has spread to other sports. He was inducted into the Minnesota Coaches Association Track and Field Hall of Fame on January 30, 2015.
Ron was a 2020 Staples-Motley Athletic Hall of Fame Coach Inductee. He was also recognized by the SMHOF when the 1985 Girls Basketball State Championship team and the 1988 Football State Runners-Up teams were included in the 2019 inductee class. Throughout all of his years coaching, Ron was blessed with the ever present and unwavering support of his wife, Naomi.
As time passed and their children became adults, Ron would have the opportunity of coaching with three of them. He and Ryan coached Cardinal football and track and field together and later Yellowjackets football. He and Arden coached the Cardinal girls basketball team together. Ron assisted his daughter, Jessica at his college alma mater, coaching the Cobber women’s basketball team and recruiting.
It was the end of an era when Ron and Naomi moved from their Staples home in 2013 to Moorhead to have time living closer to their daughters and grandchildren in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
They loved following their grandchildren’s athletic careers, traveling from one game, meet or match to the next to watch and cheer them on from youth to high school to college.
Ron’s other interests and activities included planting and harvesting a large garden that he and Naomi would tend to together, taking daily walks, playing golf, singing in their church choir with Naomi and building the new Faith Lutheran Church alongside friends. He enjoyed traveling with Naomi to Branson, Florida, Texas and cruising to Hawaii and Alaska. They would occupy their travel time singing along with John Denver and listening to audio books.
Ron was a good and faithful son. He and Naomi took special care of his mom when she was unable to live independently.
Ron is survived by his wife, Naomi; two daughters, Jessica (Brian) Rahman of Fargo and Ramelle (Mark Nelson) Beachy of Alexandria; three sons, Arden (Carrie) Beachy, Ottertail; Collin (Mark) Beachy Bergmann, Minneapolis; Ryan (Tanya) Beachy, Perham; six grandsons, Braden (Thea) Rahman and Cody Rahman, Elias (Hope) Beachy, Jenson Beachy, Matthew and Turner Beachy; eight granddaughters, Alexandra, Jacqueline, Samantha and Drew Day, Cassidy Rahman, Jaelin Beachy, Josie and Avery Beachy; two great-granddaughters, Collins Beachy and Adeline Rahman; four sisters, Karen (Leighton) Ziegler, Ardyce (Bill) Alberts, Lois Beachy, Rosemary (Jim) Beachy; two brothers, Tim (Sue) Beachy and Mark Beachy; sister-in-law, Mary Anderson; brother-in-law, Nathan (Karen) Engevik and numerous nieces and nephews.
Ron is preceded in death by his parents; one infant brother, Jonathan; brother-in-law, Dean Anderson; sister-in-law, Betty Beachy and one nephew, Johan Engevik.
Arrangements were with the Wright Funeral Home of Moorhead.
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