Ronald Lee Shimon

Ronald Lee Shimon

Cedar Rapids

Ronald Lee Shimon, 87, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at Teahen Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids.

Ron was born on February 28, 1937, to Clement and Clara Shimon (nee Wiegert) in Fort Dodge. He graduated from Rolfe High School in 1955 and Iowa State University in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While at college Ron met his future wife DonnaRae who was studying Home Economics.

After graduation, Ron took a job at Ingersoll Rand in New Jersey where he worked on thermodynamic systems. DonnaRae graduated in 1961 and moved to New York City, where their relationship grew. Ron and DonnaRae spent 3 years on the East Coast and were married in 1964. The couple returned to the Midwest, settling in Bettendorf, where he worked for American Air Filter. In 1978 Ron took a job at Amana Refrigeration and moved his young family to Cedar Rapids. He went to night school and received an MBA from the University of Iowa. Ron later worked for Crystal Tips in Spirit Lake, and finally retired from Tecumseh Products in Tecumseh, MI. He was active in ASHRAE throughout his career as an expert in the industry.

Growing up on a farm in northwest Iowa, Ron spent hours in the shop where he fostered a lifelong love of tinkering and making things. He could fabricate intricate parts with simple tools, making ornate firearms and constructing a unique metalworking machine tool called a shaper. Ron enjoyed competitive shooting, taking part in pistol and rifle competitions as part of ROTC in college and later in life. He also enjoyed making and smoking pipes with one of his creations being featured in a Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine competition. Ron was also a life-long lover of music, enjoying Dixieland jazz, playing the saxophone, and even singing in choir while in college. He was a doting husband and father, active in school activities, coaching his sons’ little league baseball teams, and taking the family on vacations across the country. After retirement, Ron and DonnaRae enjoyed traveling and loved spending time with their six grandchildren and watching them grow.

Ronald is survived by children, Richard (Jennifer) Shimon of Troy, MI, Robert (Carey) Shimon of St. Charles, IL, and Jeffrey (Julie) Shimon of Colorado Springs, CO; and grandchildren, Jacob, Jack, Joseph, James, Jane, and Ryan.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, DonnaRae; and his parents, Clement and Clara.

Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society per the family’s wishes.

Online condolences can be left at www.teahenfuneralhome.com.