Ronald James Tranter

Obituary of Ronald James Tranter

1932-2022

We sadly share the news of the 2022 passing of former Marshall resident Ronald James Tranter, 90, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Ron passed away suddenly and unexpectedly with his wife Sandy and his daughter Kim lovingly by his side. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

Ron was the third of three sons born of British immigrant parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended St. Basil’s Catholic High School and obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Westminster College in New Wilmington, leading him to become a lifelong and avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Ron began his collegiate career in 1950 but was called away his junior year for military duty, serving as an administrator in the 558th Military Police Special Services unit in Korea. He returned to college his senior year upon receipt of his honorable discharge. Ron played on his high school and college basketball teams. He was the leading scorer for the Westminster Titans his junior year and served as team co-captain his senior year. His fondest basketball memory was playing in the Westminster vs. St. John’s game in Madison Square Garden in 1953.

Ron accepted an accounting position with U.S. Steel in Lorain, Ohio following graduation where he met and married his wife, Sandra Jean Braun, in 1957. A year later, they had their only child, Kimberly Ann. Ron spent several years as a division cost accountant with a second firm before leaving to start his career with Eaton Corporation.

In 1966, Ron accepted the position of Assistant Division Controller at Eaton World Headquarters in Cleveland. He transferred to Eaton Yale & Towne’s Unit Drop Forge Division in West Allis, Wisconsin, serving as Assistant Division Controller and Assistant Plant Controller. In 1970, the family transferred to Marshall where he continued to work for Eaton for the next 22 years, proceeding through various positions including Controller, Assistant Plant Manager, and Division Manager overseeing the Marshall and Fletcher, North Carolina plants. He was named General Manager in 1978 over Marshall’s Fluid Power Operations, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. He was honored to represent Eaton Corporation and felt privileged to serve on several charitable boards and commerce committees in his tenure with Eaton including the American Cancer Society, the United Way, Calhoun County Vocational Education Initiatives, and the Marshall Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the National Association of Accountants, the American Society of Automotive Engineers, and Sigma Nu Fraternity whose core values are Love, Honor, and Truth, a credo that he followed throughout his entire life.

Ron and Sandy relocated to Traverse City in their retirement, splitting their time between Michigan and the Sanibel Island/Naples area of southwest Florida. Tiring of the Michigan/Florida shuffle and the cold winters up north, they relocated to Colorado Springs in 2001 to be nearer to their daughter and enjoy the more temperate weather. Ron’s greatest loves in his life were his family, his career, sports, watching classic television, eating out, travel, and reading. He truly valued the relationships and cherished the memories he made with his Eaton colleagues. The family hopes that the many included photos of Eaton associates and Ron’s retirement party photos in the video montage kindle some special memories and put a smile on your face in memory of our beloved Ron.

Ron is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sandy, and their daughter Kim of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, his sister-in-law Janet of Massachusetts, and his nieces and nephews Rosemary, JoAnn, Cindy, David, and Kathy of Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Massachusetts as well as their spouses, children, and grandchildren. He was predeceased by his father Clarence Jobe Tranter, mother Anna (McNeice) Tranter, brothers Joseph and Basil (Bud), sister-in-law Rose, and nephew Mark. Please feel free to reach out to us via kim@tranterresources.com.

Please visit https://www.kempffuneralhome.com to view the online obituary, sign the guest book, and leave condolences to the family.