Ron Ciochetto was first in line at my first book signing in 2008. He was a dedicated reader of this blog and a good guy. He passed away over the weekend after a long illness.
A retired miner and Vietnam vet, Ciochetto was like a lot of guys you see on the Iron Range. But he remained curious and open to new ideas into retirement. He got into social media and the internet a bit and was a frequent commenter on this site. Ron was a member of the 10 a.m. Sinclair gas station coffee assembly in Keewatin with my grandpa, a group dubbed the Keewatin Policy Makers by the mayor.
When I speculated that I believe Michael Dukakis’s motorcade passed by my family junkyard when I was a little kid, I thought for sure I was just an over-imaginative kid. But Ron told me a story from his dad, a Chisholm police chief, who said that Highway 7 in central St. Louis County was a prime route for dignitaries driving to the Range from Duluth, including Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale. Ron was a thoughtful person.
I’ll miss Ron’s comments and the e-mails he would send. He served his country, worked hard and loved his family. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
A memorial gathering for Ron Ciochetto will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, with a time of sharing at 6 p.m. at Rupp Funeral Home & Cremation Service Chapel in Chisholm.
Ron was a neighbor of mine. He was a true Iron Range character, always willing to help and always willing to offer an opinion. I will miss his humor and friendship.