Ronald H. Gehrke passed away in Waynesville, NC, at the age of 87. Born in Peoria, IL, on July 19, 1939, to Herbert and Louise Gehrke.

He completed his education at Woodruff High School in 1958 and continued at Lincoln Junior College in Lincoln, IL, graduating in 1961. He furthered his education at Kansas City Art Institute and received a grant to study in Paris at the Sorbonne and at the Royal Academy in Athens, Greece, in 1964. He graduated in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in interior design with a minor in Graphic Design. After returning to Peoria to pursue his career, he left in 1983 for Naples, FL, where he opened his own design studio. He retired in 2007 and relocated to Waynesville, NC.

His husband, Danny Driggers, passed away on March 30, 2023.

Ronald is survived by his three stepchildren, David Driggers, Dawn Broudy, and Brit Heinrich.

Private burial will be in Peoria, IL.

The care of Mr. Gehrke has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.