Ronald M. Beachy

Ronald Beachy

September 30, 1939 --- April 13, 2024

Ronald Milton Beachy, age 84, was surrounded by his loving family as God called him home on Saturday, April 13, 2024.  He was a devoted and beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son, brother, friend, teacher and coach.

Ronald Beachy was born September 30, 1939 in Plain City, OH to Jonas and Katherine (Kramer) Beachy.   As a young child he moved to Leader, MN 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, MN 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, MN.   The young couple made their home in Bemidji, MN 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 back to Staples, MN where they would welcome three sons (Arden, Collin & Ryan), raise their family and 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 has positively touched countless high school students and athletes’ lives.  Throughout his coaching career at Staples he accomplished much, including the1985 State Class A Girls Basketball Championship and 1988 State Class A Football Runner Up finish.  But it was Track and Field where his coaching accomplishments and accolades overflowed and 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 & 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 Runner-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 Cardinals football and track & field together and later Yellowjackets football.   He and Arden coached the Cardinals girls basketball team together.  And 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 or 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 preceded in death by his parents, Jonas and Katherine, an infant brother Jonathan,  brother-in-law Dean Anderson, sister-in-law Betty Beachy, and nephew Johan Engevik. Ron is survived by his wife, Naomi; two daughters, Jessica (Brian) Rahman of Fargo and Ramelle (Mark Nelson) Beachy of Alexandria, MN; three sons, Arden (Carrie) Beachy, Ottertail, MN; Collin (Mark) Beachy Bergmann, Minneapolis, MN; Ryan (Tanya) Beachy, Perham, MN; six grandsons, Braden (Thea) Rahman and Cody Rahman, Elias (Hope) Beachy and 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.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, April 21^st with visitation from 4-6pm, followed by a prayer service and time for sharing at 6:30.  The funeral will be Monday, April 22^nd at 1:00pm, Pastor Mary Suomala Folkerds officiating and visitation prior to service from 11:30am-1:00pm.  All services are at Faith Lutheran Church in Staples, Minnesota.  Arrangements are entrusted to Wright Funeral Home of Moorhead.   His final resting place will be the cemetery at Lanstad Gatzke, MN