Ronald H. Chester

Ronald H. Chester died June 20, 2012 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer and heart disease. He was a longtime resident of the coast living in Gulfport, Biloxi, and Ocean Springs. Ron taught speech, drama, and debate in the Biloxi School District for 32 years. He won numerous state and national awards for his high school productions. He touched the lives of thousands of students in his many years of teaching. Ron served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves before attending Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Speech and where he met the love of his life, Margaret Caldwell. Ron was very loved by his church family at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Ocean Springs. He traveled the U.S. and internationally on mission trips with Trinity United Methodist Church in Gulfport, where he was a longtime member. He was a frequent guest actor and director at community theaters around the coast including both the Biloxi and Gulfport Little Theaters. For the last nine years, he served as the manager of the Saenger Theater in Biloxi. Ron is survived by his wife of 44 years, Margaret, daughters, Angela (Mark) Baumgarten of Ocean Springs, Cherie (Jason) Hohertz of Arlington, TX, grandchildren, Kenneth Cole-Baumgarten, Ashleigh Baumgarten both of Ocean Springs, and Sarah and Rachel Hohertz of Arlington, TX. He is also survived by his longtime friend Tommy Saunders of Ocean Springs, MS who Ron affectionately called “My Ugly Brother”. He is preceded in death by his parents, Vernon Chester of Norfolk, VA and Rachel Chester of Jackson, TN. Memorial services will be on Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church on Porter Avenue in Ocean Springs. Friends may visit from 12:30 p.m. until service time. In lieu of flowers the family prefers donations to, one’s favorite charity or St. Paul United Methodist Church, 800 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 or The American Cancer Society, 417 Security Square, Gulfport, MS 39501 or The American Heart Association, 440 E. Pass Road, Gulfport, MS 39501. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, Ocean Springs is in charge of arrangements.