Ron, also known as “Ron” the Tool Man Taylor to former and current MYC staff, was a man of many trades and skills. Ron, walked into the Center as a 70 year old curious resident but then become such an integral and beloved volunteer and then board member of our program. Here is a glimpse of our amazing journey with Ron.Ron joined the Youth Center team in 2016 during a very exciting but also difficult transition for our Center. After a year and half long Renovation of the Armory, where the Youth Center is housed, I had Ron walk into the Center while I was eating lunch. Ron, who had lived in Milford his whole life and stayed up to date with local politics and the history of the Town, was told by a friend that he should go down to the newly renovated Center and lend a hand; that his knowledge may come in handy. While he was telling me this, I had no idea how much we really would need and rely on him for assistance over the next few years. I told Ron that any potential volunteer would need to complete a volunteer application and must have a CORI processed. As I was preparing the paperwork, Ron seemingly a little embarrassed started telling me a story of growing up and being bullied and having difficulty learning in a regular classroom setting. At first, I didn’t know the context of why he was sharing this information, but soon realized that he needed help to complete the form. As I then sat there and started assisting him with the form, I regrettably admit I didn’t know if he would fit in or even decide to come back. I was wrong. Not only did Ron return, but Ron never left! Within the next week, I went from being the Assistant Director to Acting Director and soon Director. I was left with a five million dollar newly renovated building, 200 after school members and no other full-time staff members. I was overwhelmed to say the least. Ron returned, along with my other dedicated volunteers, former staff members and community members to help during this difficult time. What at first started as a potential one day volunteer responsibility turned into Ron showing up in the morning to help me comprehend this large new building that I was now in charge of, in addition to helping monitor rooms during the after school program.
Ron continued to impact the Milford Youth Center in so many ways. He was more than just adding another presence to help monitor our youth and programs. When we first moved back in to the Armory, Ron became very aware of his surroundings. He would notice a ping pong paddle broken and then next day he would come in with new paddles. We would be running out of batteries for our Wii and the next day he would come in with a yearlong supply of batteries! Although, I was truly appreciative of his generosity, it became clear to me that he was doing it for more than just donating items. I was alone trying to keep the program afloat and he knew that I did not have the time to go out and get some of these items. I had to prioritize and try to get volunteers and hire new staff as the program was just getting more and more popular due to being newly renovated. His donations then began to grow. Although we had a newly renovated Center, the project didn’t include soft costs, so our new kitchen space had no appliances. We started a sponsoring campaign for these items and we were able to get an organization to sponsor a refrigerator and then a community member sponsored the stove but I was having trouble with getting someone to sponsor the dishwasher. Being familiar with ServSafe regulations and aware that we received a grant to start a nutrition program, he went out and got program supplies and a state of the art commercial dishwasher from Franks Appliance (always wanting to support local), that allowed for the temperature needed to sanitize items safely for food programs. Beyond his donations he helped with so many projects including but not limited to: hanging up gym mirrors, making doors for our front desk with a lock, hanging up the 1911 bronze (heavy) plaque for our front lobby, refurbishing one of the original wooden Armory doors into an art piece on our stage, put together floats for the Santa Parade, participated in our Telethon and St. Pat’s fundraisers, cooked and volunteered at our Thanksgiving and Holidays events for the after school program, built stairs for our fashion show stage and helped set up all the Haunted House decorations and props which involved a lot of set up, configuring air compressors and abiding by fire codes. He even helped assist the Town with guidance on the steam system in the building, helping save the Town thousands of dollars. Ron then started to bring all his knowledge into programs for the after school kids, including showing kids how to sand and stain a floor, build a closet and doors and even how to drywall! Ron was even a finalist for the 2017 United Way of Tri-County’s prestigious award of Volunteer of the Year and he was recognized at the event!
Unfortunately, Ron was dealt a tough break and he was diagnosed with Merkel Cell Carcinoma in September of 2020, a very rare and aggressive cancer. Last Wednesday, a few MYC & Town staff and Board Members were invited to say good bye by his daughter Cathy and partner Ginny. He asked us to videotape our visit for his one last moment of “paying it forward.” Within 24 hours, Milford TV, our devoted community partner helped us accomplish this last wish. Liz Harkins the Director volunteered her time and brought her amazing intern Arabella to help. Ron talked about his life and how someone helped him in his life when he had a learning disability which taught him to always pay it forward. He then talked about how he dedicated his life to “pay it forward” with helping his family and community, in particular by applying all his skills at the Youth Center. His final act of “paying it forward” was to talk about his rare cancer and donate his body for future research to hopefully help those in the future suffering from it. Ron then asked me to create a program at the Center where kids can continue to work with different skills and trades, like he did in the past, because maybe it could help others who may not find traditional learning to come easy to them. He was very aware and humbled by the help that he got when he was younger, which allowed him to create a wonderful life for his family and a life full of paying it forward to others. We are already in the works of planning to apply for a grant in his honor to see this come back to life and continue his legacy.
Ron passed away a little over 24 hours after our visit, on last Friday morning. Family, friends and community members will help finish the video, along with the help of Milford TV. The community may not truly understand or ever know the scope of impact that Ron has had on the Center, because Ron never did these things for any type of notoriety. He did them to help out and to pay it forward to others. What I do know is the impact he made on me and I will forever be grateful to him. The town of Milford, his friends and family and the Milford Youth Center lost a very special person. He will be missed. For short video collage made by the Center, click here. We would like to thank Town Administrator’s Office, Select Board and State Representative Brian W. Murray for providing citations to Ron and his family for his dedication to the Town and to the Milford Youth Center. For Ron’s obituary announcement, click here.