Ronald Louis Bergstrom

Our father, grandfather, brother, and friend, Ronald Louis Bergstrom, passed away on January 6, 2025, in Brigham City, Utah after several years of declining health.

Ron was born to Robert and Emma Ross Bergstrom on February 29, 1948. He was indeed a leap year baby, and he delighted in talking about it all his life. 

Ron grew up in Sedro Woolley, WA and attended Woolley schools, where he met Ingrid Sather. Through letters, after graduation, he fell in love with Ingrid and with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was baptized and transferred from Western Washington University to join Ingrid at BYU. They were soon married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 3, 1970.

After graduation, Ron got a job teaching in tiny Mossyrock, WA. A man of many talents, he taught Band, Choir, Social Studies, Art, and Photography and 6th grade. Ron found great joy (and great frustration at times) in teaching. He teased, listened to, believed in, and wanted the best for his students.

After 10 years, the family moved back to Sedro Woolley to work doing career education for adults. Eventually, Ron returned to teaching kids. He got a job in the Marysville school district. It was a long commute and during this time, Ingrid and Ron decided to move to Marysville to end the need for the long drive. Leaving their longtime friends in Sedro Woolley was difficult but they did adjust. He was especially proud to be able to work on a committee studying and setting up 4 small schools inside a larger, brand new school and being a part of building a new school culture from scratch. He was very sad when poor health eventually forced him to retire. In 2016, they moved to Layton, Utah to be close to kids, grandkids, and Ingrid's siblings.

After contracting COVID and suffering the death of his sweetheart, his health declined and he moved into assisted living in Brigham City, Utah, near Tonya.

As a youngster, Ron began taking violin lessons. It turned out that he was very good at it, continuing to study violin performance through college. Playing the violin provided an artistic outlet for Ron and brought joy to those he played for, especially family members, like his mother. His grandchildren also enjoyed hearing him make his violin “meow,” the notes he played mimicking the sounds of a kitten meowing. His love of music was evident in his extensive and varied record collection.

Ron had a testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, of repentance, of being an example of the believers, and of service. He held many callings, and these helped him deepen his understanding of our Father's Great Plan of Happiness and our place in it.

Ron had a talent for fixing or putting together things in "unusual" ways. He spent a lot of time fixing our vehicles and did most of the work converting his garage to a set of rooms for his sister-in-law and mother-in-law. 

Ron loved his family and had all kinds of interesting side jobs trying to provide for them. He loved his posterity, especially delighting in his grandkids when they were babies and little kids.

He and Ingrid were married for 52 years before she passed away. They were an amazing team, each bringing different strengths to achieve their shared goals.

Ron was preceded in death by his wife Ingrid, and his parents. He is survived by his three children; Tonya (Mike) Adams, Traci (Daniel) Brown, and Tyrell (Lauren) Bergstrom; his 8 grandchildren; his sister, Sharon; his brother, Roger (Lu), and many nieces and nephews.

Special thanks to the staff at Maple Springs for his care and thanks to the staff at Brigham City Hospital and Primrose Hospice for their care for Ron (and for Tonya) as we navigated Ron's transition to the other side.

At a later date, we will be holding a memorial service in Washington State where Ron will be laid to rest next to Ingrid.