March 6, 1949 Sept. 25, 2024

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of . Born March 6, 1949, in Texas City, Texas, to Danforth and Dorothy Tarpey, Ron peacefully left us on Sept. 25, 2024, with the love of his family and friends surrounding him.

Ron is preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Travis Tarpey.

He will lovingly be missed by his wife of 45 years, Phoebe; and children Jason and Jill (Tim); three grandchildren, London, Berkeley and Jake; one sister Nancy Doucette; three brothers Danny (Vicky) Tarpey, Ken (Susan) Tarpey and Jerome (Debbie) Tarpey; and numerous nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Ron grew up in La Porte, Texas. At age 18, he began working for Exxon Shipping as a deck hand on crude oil tankers ... and never wanted to pick up a paint brush again.

He went on to obtain his Coast Guard 3rd Mate License, then continued as a 2nd Mate for the rest of his maritime career.

He retired from Exxon in 2006, but the shipping industry was still calling his name, and he went to work for Valero as a pollution safety adviser in Corpus Christi, Texas. He retired from that position in 2021 to enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Ron enjoyed cruising and spent most of his time sitting at the top deck of the ship, having a cigar and gazing at the water.

He will always be remembered by his funny, and sometimes, harrowing, tales of seagoing experiences. He continued friendships with many of the people he sailed with, and the laughter heard from conversations he would have with old shipmates will remain in our hearts.

Ron became a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church when he and Phoebe moved to Boerne in 1979. His love for the Lord was always first and foremost in his heart.

He became active in the men ACTS retreats, was a member of the Knights of Columbus, safety and security team, a Eucharistic minister and attended a Kolbe Prison Ministry.

He also treasured his time with the early Friday morning Men’s faith sharing. Those who knew him well, were very surprised he got up to be at church at 6 a.m. on Fridays to be a part of that special group of men.

Rosary will be held at St. Peter’s at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2024, with a Celebration of Life service following at 2 p.m. Following the service, there will be a reception in the Cana Ballroom to share a meal, memories and stories of Ron’s life.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Ron may be made to St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Kendall County EMS or a charity of choice.

To leave condolences for the family, please visit www. ebensberger-fisher.com