Ronald Caleb Mackes

On Monday May 4, 2026, our beloved father, brother, and “Grandad” went to be with Jesus.

Ronald “Ron” Caleb Mackes was born on October 26, 1932 in Little Gap, PA, the oldest child of Robert Clyde Mackes and Marguerite Elizabeth Green Mackes. In 1950, he graduated from Slatington High School in Slatington, PA and in 1954 he graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA with a chemical engineering degree. On November 28, 1953 he married Carolyn Myra Kreidler and they were happily married 67 and a half years before Carolyn passed away on June 5, 2021.

Ron went to college at Lehigh through ROTC and then served two years of active duty in the Army followed by 6 years in the reserves. He was honorably discharged on December 10, 1962. After his two years of active service, Ron moved with his family to Texas and started his engineering career. Before long the family moved to New Jersy where he worked for Shell Oil Company, initially in northern NJ and later in southern NJ. Ron was a pioneer at heart and after traveling to Colorado for Shell, he had the opportunity to go to work for Best Quality Plastics in Denver. So in 1967, he and his family moved to Colorado where he spent the rest of his days when he wasn’t traveling! For many of his years in Colorado the family lived at least part time in a mountain house in Crestone, Colorado where Ron could easily pursue his love of the outdoors and share that love with his family.

Ron enjoyed activities such as hiking, camping, hunting with his sons and two beagles, Gunner and Luke, and perhaps most of all fishing, including several trips to Mirond Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada with family and friends from Burns Memorial United Methodist Church. Traveling with Carolyn also brought him great joy. They traveled alone but also enjoyed traveling with their dear friends Lee (Carolyn’s brother) and his wife Barb. Trips with their kids and grandkids were special as well, especially trips to Ocean City, New Jersey.

Besides his love for his wife, his family, and the outdoors, Ron’s great love was music and singing. Ron was very active at Burns Memorial UMC for over 30 years, faithfully singing in the choir all those years. During time spent in Crestone, he also sang with the Crestone Community Choir. Many people were blessed by his beautiful voice, and he passed on his love of singing to all his children!

Ron is survived by two of his three children (Kurt and Holly), his four grandchildren (Jessica, Melanie, Colin, and Evan), his 10 great-grandchildren (Dajuan-18, Aiden-15, Khalid-15, Maddie-14, Jakai-8, Caleb-8, Grace-6, Malachi-5, Isaiah-3, and Naomi-1), his brother Paul, and his sister Marjie, as well as the spouses of his children and grandchildren, all of whom were very special to him. Sadly, his youngest son Ross passed away on April 20, 2021, less than two months before Carolyn, but Ron has now joined both Carolyn and Ross in Heaven. He was also preceded in death by his parents and his sister Fern.

Ron loved God and his family. He lived life to the fullest, always seeing the positive in things and “blooming where he was planted.” When he couldn’t hike anymore, he enjoyed long drives. We were blessed to have him for 93 years, and we know he is now singing in Heaven with the angels.

A service will be held at Burns Memorial United Methodist Church, 1095 Newark Street, Aurora, CO 80010 on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 10:30.

Donations in memory of Ron can be made to Burns Memorial UMC, 1095 Newark Street, Aurora, CO 80010 or to the Ocean City Tabernacle, 550 Wesley Avenue, Ocean City, NJ 08226.

To share a memory of Ron or to leave a special condolence message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.