Ronnie Rathbone

"Loved By All" Leicester – Ronald Lee Rathbone, age 53, passed away on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at St. Joseph Campus in Asheville. A native of Haywood County, he was the son of the late James Ronald and Ora Mae Kuykendall Rathbone. He was also preceded in death by a brother, James Charles "Bimbo" Rathbone. He was employed by the Flint Group in Arden as a production supervisor and served honorably in the United States Army. Ronnie never met a stranger, always making new friends everywhere he went. You never saw him without a smile on his face and always joking. Ronnie loved being outdoors and especially enjoyed fishing and all wildlife. One of his favorite times of the year was baseball season where he coached for 12 years and was past president of the Canton Little League. Ronnie was an avid sports fan and enjoyed cheering for his favorite teams, the Yankees, Steelers and the UNC Tarheels. Left to cherish Ronnie's memory are his wife, Tracy Holcombe Rathbone, a son, Ryan Lee Rathbone; step-daughter, Morgan Turner; step-son, Austin Turner; a sister, Jennifer Rathbone Tracz and her husband, Jeff; five brothers, Ricky Cromer, Jeffrey Randall, Kevin Eugene and Thomas Tracy Rathbone; a host of nieces and nephews; a special mother-in-law, Barbara Holcombe; brother-in-law, Randy Holcombe and his special chocolate lab "Koby." At Ronnie's request no services will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to NC Wildlife Resources Commission, 1702 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699.