Ron McCarthy, 67, of Virginia, Ill., passed away the evening of Thursday, Feb. 1, after a hard-fought battle with cancer that spanned several months. Ron's final days were spent on hospice at the Walker Nursing Home in Virginia, where the staff gave him impeccable comfort care, and in his final hours, Ron was surrounded by his wife and several other family members and friends.

Ron is preceded in death by his mother and step-father, Ruth and Sam Williams of White Hall, Ill.; his father and step-mother, Bob and Meta McCarthy of Carrollton, Ill.; his eldest sister Cheryl McCarthy of Roodhouse, Ill., and his youngest sister Diana McCarthy of St. Louis, Mo.

Ron is survived by his wife of 20 years, Brenda; his older brother John McCarthy of Tacoma, Wash.; his sister Teresa Wyatt of St. Louis, Mo.; his eldest daughter, Alison Irlam (husband Adam and two daughters Elise and Lilian) of Taylor Mill, Ky., his step-daughter, Casey Ricketts (husband Jake and two daughters Lucy and Audrey) of Decatur, Ill., and his final daughter, Erin McCarthy (husband John Leiter and daughter Clara) of Anchorage, Alaska.

Ron was born on August 23, 1956. He grew up active in the Boy Scouts and spent much of his childhood in the woods of Greene County. It is apparent that he carried the lessons of his youth throughout his adult life.

Ron attended North Greene High School, but ultimately graduated from Roosevelt High School in St. Louis in 1974. He found work with Capitol Records in Jacksonville and spent several months on river barge crews before beginning a lifelong career with the Burlington Northern Railroad (now Burlington Northern Santa Fe) when he was 20 years old.

Ron attended the National Academy of Railroad Sciences in Kansas on multiple occasions over the years, obtaining a variety of certifications to advance his career. As a strong believer in lifelong learning, Ron also took myriad courses at Lincoln Land Community College, Spoon River College, and Western Illinois University -- never toward earning a specific degree, but rather, "because why not?"

Ron believed in the pro-labor movement. He took on several leadership positions with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way, advocating the importance of organized labor and its benefit to American society. He believed that a strong middle class is a necessary component of a strong nation.

Ron believed in volunteering, and you could often find him working in the service of others. He was very active in several non-profit organizations, including the Beardstown Archery Club, the Illinois Archers Association, and the Physically Challenged Bowhunters of America. He spent nearly two decades working with the United Special Sportsman Alliance on their annual Illinois Dream Hunt, guiding children with critical illnesses or disabilities on a weekend-long deer hunting trip.

Ron believed in the power of a free press and its vital importance to democracy. He was a proud member of Tri-States Public Radio, and while he lamented the extreme staff reductions of the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, he held a daily subscription and read it regularly until just a week before his death.

Somewhere between working and volunteering, Ron always found time and space for adventure. He took many hunting trips to Wyoming and Canada, even making it as far as Africa for the bowhunt of a lifetime in Namibia. He was grateful for the opportunity to take his underwater welding certificate down to Key Largo in 2002, where he joined the all-volunteer crew who sunk the retired Navy vessel USS Spiegal Grove, now a popular dive site on the Dixie Shoal in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Upon retiring from his 40-year career with BNSF in 2016, Ron and his wife Brenda began traveling extensively. They oftentimes planned trips around two goals: Seeing all 50 state capitols, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals play in stadiums throughout the US. Most trips were taken by car, as Ron loved getting off the beaten path, visiting state and national parks, seeking out odd roadside attractions, and finding the best food and drink any region had to offer.

Ron loved gardening and canning, making wine and brewing beer, and it was purtneer impossible for guests to leave his home empty-handed.

Ron loved children, and much of his retirement was spent teaching his granddaughters and great-nephew and nieces how to work with the fruit trees, berry patch and vegetable garden that grew in his yard. At the end of each summer, he would hold "Grampy Camp," inviting them to harvest and enjoy the results of their labor -- especially "Grampa's Blueberry Pancakes!"

Finally, Ron also loved a good party. With that in mind, a Celebration of a Life Well Lived will be held on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 1-4 p.m., at the Twisted Tree Music Hall in Jacksonville, Ill. Family and friends are welcome. The Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Virginia is assisting the family. Condolences may be sent online at buchanancody.com.