Ronald James Balcom
04/11/1937 - 04/02/2023
Ronald Balcom, 85, of Vacaville, CA, passed away Sunday, April 2, 2023, from cancer at his home.
Ron was born the middle child to Joseph and Julia Balcom on April 11,1937, in Vallejo, CA. His parents instilled a love of travel in their young family. He went into the Navy for three years where he trained as a barber and was able to quench his thirst for travel by going to Japan and Alaska. He met Oleta Hubbard, the love of his life, after his Navy days. They were married in 1959 and had two children, Colette and Curtis, shortly thereafter. Ron worked as a barber in Auburn, CA, before transitioning to the road department with Placer County. The County offered him a new position on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, CA, plowing snow and working on the roads.
Ron also moonlighted as a volunteer firefighter and Oleta told stories about his first call in the middle of the night. He was trying to rush out to a call and he kept having to put his fireman's helmet on after bending down to put on his boots. Every time he bent down, his fireman’s helmet kept falling off. I can still see mom laughing.
From Lake Tahoe, CA, he decided to take up insurance with Farmers Insurance. He moved his family to Vacaville, CA, to take over his brother Duane’s insurance agency in 1972. His insurance days lasted until 1979 when he quit that desk job so he could be on the road and bought a Tom’s Peanut franchise in Petaluma, CA. After a few years he packed up everything they owned, and took off with Oleta across the country in their RV for nearly a year.
Upon their return to California, Ron and Oleta settled in Grass Valley where he got his EMT license and started a fire extinguisher maintenance business. When his first grandson Jason was born, he was convinced by Oleta to move back to Vacaville, CA, in order to be closer to his grandson. Ron went back to work for the county (now Solano County) where he was a striper and made road signs. He eventually retired and they hit the road again, this time with a new passion for buying and selling fishing reels. They traveled all over the country and went to Arizona each year, wintering with the snowbirds.
Ron was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years Oleta Balcom. He is survived by his son Curtis and Janet Balcom, daughter Colette and Randy Miller, brothers Duane and Gaylon Balcom, his grandchildren Jason Miller, Samantha, and Joshua Gonzalez, Robert and Danielle Pippin, Andrew and Bonnie Pippin, and great-grandchildren Penelope, Elijah, Hudson Gonzalez, and Chance, Paige, Chad, AJ, Dustin Pippin.
There will be a viewing on April 27th, 2023, from 4-7 p.m. and a service Friday, April 28th, at 10 a.m. taking place at 212 Main St, (McCune Garden Chapel) Vacaville, CA. Private interment will follow at the New Auburn Cemetery.
