Obituary of Ronald Frederick Gustke
Ronald Frederick Gustke November 16, 2019 Ron Gustke, 79, of Mattydale, NY, died Saturday, November 16, 2019 from a sudden heart attack, upon arriving to his daughter Erin's home, in Ithaca, NY, to take care of his grand dog, Oakley. Ron, born August 20, 1940, in Liverpool, NY, was a devoted son, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, friend and neighbor. He was one of a kind, with a unique sense of humor, which earned him the title of "The Ronald" by loved ones. Nothing made him happier than spending time with, and doing special things for, his family and friends. He had an affinity for babies and also was brought much joy in caring for the special family pets in his life. Having lived in Mattydale for 74 of his 79 years he was the self-proclaimed, life-long, "Mayor of Mattydale". He loved to share the lore and history of his home town with others through the generations. His alma mater is the former North Syracuse High School on Taft Road. Ron was an Air Force Veteran, serving in the Air National Guard for over five years during the Vietnam War which included an active duty assignment to Canon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Ron was a faithful employee of Ford Motor Credit for over 30 years. He started out, in his younger years, with one of his favorite jobs of repossessing cars, of which he enjoyed sharing stories throughout his life. He continued on as a financial analyst and later was called out of retirement to help dealerships in need of assistance. He enjoyed a lifelong love of fishing, passed on through the generations, from his father, to his children, down to his grandchildren. There are so many special memories of fishing with his immediate and extended family throughout his life. Some of his favorite places shared were Black Lake, St. Lawrence River, Skaneateles Lake and Oneida Lake. In addition to enjoying being on the water at lakes and rivers in New York, Ron had a love of traveling to Florida and spending time at the ocean with family and his close friends. He also had an appreciation for gardening, passed down from his dad, who brought the love and expertise of gardening to Mattydale from Ron's paternal family farm in Liverpool, NY. Ron leaves his children, Kevin Fistick, Karin Trask (Tom), Christine Gustke – Wallace (Pat), Michael Gustke (Erin), and Erin Gustke (Ellie). Grandchildren, Matthew Hoppes, Darrin Fistick (Casey), Caroline Gustke (Cory), Sarah Wallace, Kerensa Copeland (Eddie), Laura Trask, Jacob Trask and Jaz Wallace along with eight great grandchildren, his beloved cat, Trina, and several grand pets and great grand pets whom he loved and helped take care of. Brother Robert ("Bob") Gustke (Bonnie), Rita Brenon (Randy Nolan) and the Brennon family; Kim, Jeff (Meghan) and children. Nieces and Nephews, David Gustke (Terese Santaro-Gustke), Alicia Gosselin (Rich), Melissa Mann (Tony ), Joanna Miller (Jimmy), Steven Gustke (Kara) along with eight grand nieces and nephews, cousins and close, lifelong friends and neighbors. Ron is predeceased by his infant son, Daniel David Gustke (1972), parents, Frederick ("Fred") Gustke (1987) originally of Liverpool, NY and Madeline Keller Gustke (1997) originally of Syracuse, NY. Brother, Richard ("Dick") Gustke (2005), along with his grandparents, aunts, uncles and beloved family pets who were near and dear to his heart. Family will receive callers on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 301 West Molloy Road, Mattydale, NY, between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made, in Ron's honor, to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org/donate), an organization to which Ron was a faithful supporter. Nothing gave him more joy than to be able to help family and friends when in need. You could always count on Ron. Please sign the guestbook at syracuse.com/obits
In Loving Memory
Ronald Gustke
1940 - 2019
