Ronald Marvin Flemming, Sr.

Staff Sergeant (Retired) Ronald Marvin Flemming, Sr., was born January 30, 1936. He transitioned from this earthly ream on October 23, 2017 at the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Fayetteville North Carolina.

Ronald was the 4th child of 10 children born to the Mary Elizabeth Marshall and Franklin David Fleming in Columbus, Ohio. He spent his early years working to help support his younger siblings. He was a loving “big” brother with a compassionate heart and protective nature when it came to his brothers and sisters. Ronald was never afraid of work.  He would often be seen riding his bicycle (with large basket on the front) through the neighborhood. He used his bike to run errands for the elderly; pickup medicine from the pharmacy, bread from local grocery store. Ronald mowed grass, shoveled coal, painted houses, hung wall paper anything to make a dollar to help his family. As teenager he was so “skinny” that he was nicknamed “Gandhi” (referencing Mahatma Gandhi), also his father nicknamed him "bug” which stuck with Ronald until he entered military service.

  Ronald was educated in Columbus, Ohio public school system. After completing 12 years of schooling he enlisted in the United States Army in 1956. Ronald’s military career took him to many duty stations around the world including: Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Fort Lewis Washington, Fort Lee, Virginia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  In 1978 after serving his country for 22 years He retired from the Army staying in the Fayetteville NC area.  On April 15, 1982 Ronald married the love of his life Patricia Bates. This union produced one child Ronald Marvin Flemming Jr., whom he loved dearly. After retiring from the Army Ronald used the skills he had acquired working for various U.S. Defense Contractors in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Afghanistan providing logistics support services and retrograde to U.S. Armed forces.  He also worked for AFFES a short period of time.  Ronald was a very private person and family man, he had a great since of humor, loved to joke around and have fun cooking-out with his family and friends.

Ronald was preceded in death by his father: Franklin David Fleming; mother: Mary Elizabeth Marshall; three brothers: Franklin, George and Kenneth; four sisters: Charlene, Geraldine, Janice and Claudia.

 Left to cherish his memories are his wife, of 44 years, Patricia Anne Bates Flemming, his son: Ronald Marvin Flemming, Jr. of New York, his stepson: Malik Zakee Ali of Los Angles California; two brothers: Stanley O. Fleming, Sr. of Columbus, Ohio, Reverend David E. Fleming, Sr. (Edith), of Prince George, Virginia and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Ronald will always be remembered for is loving and generous spirit. “Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away…”

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