Ronald Wass

Ronald Wass, 85, of Adel, passed away peacefully at his home with his family surrounding him on Jan. 2, 2024.

Ron was born on Sept. 29, 1938, in Chicago, Ill., and raised in the community of Rosemore. He graduated from Fenger High School in 1956 and attended Illinois Institute of Technology. He worked as a Special Agent with the Hartford Insurance Company until he was drafted by the United States Army on Dec. 7, 1961 and served until 1963. While in the Army, he was assigned to the Army Port Transportation Corps in Tripoli, Libya, where he provided intelligence services regarding operations.

Ron returned to the Hartford Insurance Company after leaving the Army, working as a fieldman in Kansas and Iowa from 1963 to 1971. He became a partner with Edwards Brandt & Associates Insurance Company in 1971 and worked there until his retirement in 2002 as an independent insurance agent, doing mainly commercial lines.

Ron married Kathie Jackson on March 18, 1976 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. After retiring in 2002, they moved to her hometown of Winterset, Iowa, and built his dream home – a “cabin in the woods,” which became a “full log home” as the project took off. They lived there for 13 years, until downsizing to a new home they built in Adel, Iowa, in October 2015.

Ron enjoyed hobbies such as auto repair (and fixing anything, really!), traveling, and camping. His most memorable RV trips with Kathie were to Alaska and Newfoundland. Through his life, he was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake; St. Paul Lutheran Church in Winterset, Iowa; and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Waukee, Iowa. He was an active member of the American Legion Green Rogers Post #184 in Winterset, Iowa.

Ron is survived by his loving wife, Kathie; five children, Terry (Shari) Wass, Cappie (Scott) Buchholtz, Niccie (Jeff) Kliegl, Heather (Matt) Zimmerman, and Amber (Jake) Romero; 12 grandchildren, Hayes, Abby, Alex, Jaquie, Tobias, Raef, Raya, Riley, Colvin, Hayleigh, Gavin and Sienna; and eight great-grandchildren, Cooper, Berkeley, Dawson, Fischer, Ava, Adam, Iris and Theia. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Sidney and Lillian Wass.

A memorial service was held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Waukee, with the family greeting friends in the hour prior.  A light lunch after the service was held. Burial with military honors took place at the Winterset Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be donated to the Winterset Green Rogers American Legion Post #184 and/or to Immanuel Lutheran Church for their memorial fund. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.