Obituary of Ronald Walker Massey

Ronald Walker Massey, age 91, of Fort Worth, Texas, passed away October 22, 2024.

An internment ceremony will be held Tuesday, November 26th, 2024, at the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery, located at 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, TX 75211, at 11:15 AM at the Columbarium Wall. Funeral arrangements are being managed by Martin Thompson and Son Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be held at Joe T. Garcia’s in the Villa following the internment, 12:00-2:30 PM.

Ronald was born on December 14, 1932, in Hollis, Oklahoma, to Homer Lafayette Massey and Era Nanny Walker. He attended the Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore before graduating from Classen High School in Oklahoma City in 1951. From January 1953 to January 1955, he served as a corporal in the U.S. Army.

In his career, Ron excelled in sales and customer service roles, starting in 1961 at a Chevrolet dealership in Oklahoma City, later moving to San Francisco in 1971 as a Territory Manager for Burgermeister Brewery. From 1974 to 1982, he and his wife, Cheri, ran Beverage Distributors, Inc., a business based in Ennis, TX, that wholesaled Miller and other product lines such as Falstaff, Shiner, and Corona. He also served as a lobbyist for the beer industry in Austin, representing it at local, regional, and national events.

Ronald was known for his quick wit and playful spirit often showing the neighbors’ children how to pop wheelies or even ride a skateboard with limited success and much pain. One notable prank was serving his future son-in-law outdated ice cream, only to reveal his dislike for the flavor after half had been eaten. Returning to his passion for selling cars in the 1980s through the 2000s as an independent dealer, he once sold his wife’s car from her parking spot at Texas Christian University while she was at work. In the early 2000s, he found great joy in his final career as a Landman, securing oil, gas, and mineral rights for Barnett Shale exploration in Eastern Oklahoma, with his Shepherd-Collie, Martha, faithfully by his side.

Ronald is survived by his wife of 63 years, Cheri Christine Massey, and their children: Robin Massey Davis; Ronald W. Massey and his wife Kathy; and Ryan Massey Peterson and her husband William. His legacy also includes his grandchildren: Spenser Davis LaJoie and her husband Roger E. LaJoie III, William Allen Peterson, Christopher Walker Peterson, Leslie Christine Peterson, and Samantha Renee Massey; as well as great-grandchildren Brantley R. Robinson, Sutton June Hanes, and Woodrow Massey LaJoie. He was preceded in death by his parents, Homer Lafayette Massey and Era Nanny Walker Massey Bell.

Ron and Cheri were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth since 1972.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ronald’s memory may be made to the Dementia Society of America at www.DementiaSociety.org/donate or to the James L. West Center for Dementia Care at www.jameslwest.org/donate-now. The family extends deep gratitude to Silverado Hospice and their compassionate care team.