Ronald D. Bullock, Owner of Bison Gear & Engineering, Dies: Obituary

Ronald D. Bullock, age 73, of St. Charles, Illinois and the Swan Valley, Montana, passed away on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at his home in St. Charles.

Ron was a graduate of Wright State University with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and since 1987 was the owner and chairman of Bison Gear & Engineering. In addition to his dedication to family, Ron was a life-long proponent of American manufacturing, a supporter of our educational system and was committed to community service.

He recently completed a two-year term as Chairman of the Manufacturing Institute, and was currently serving on the NAM board of directors and the Board of Trustees for MAPI. He is a past Chairman of the Illinois Manufacturers Association (IMA) and was the current chair of the IMA Education Foundation, funding several scholarships offered by the foundation. He is a founding member of the Illinois P-20 Council, established to help increase educational opportunities for people in Illinois across all ages. Ron also served as director of the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA), and as President and trustee on AGMA’s cooperative venture with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Gear Institute. Under Ron’s leadership, Bison created BisonCares in 2005, a 501c3 charity dedicated to supporting other local community charity organizations. Ron was elected an eminent engineer of Tau Beta Pi in 2008 and received the RSM McGladrey Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

He was born October 28, 1942 in Dayton, Ohio to Norman and Elizabeth Bullock.

Ron is survived by his daughter, Laurel (Josh) Novak of Geneva; daughter in-law, Kelly (John) Burch of St. Charles; five grandchildren, Doug, Dylan, Matti, Brandon and Ava; two step- grandchildren, Emily and Austin; and brother-in- law, John (Joy) Stewart of Swan Valley, Montana.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Larry and Michael; wife, Kelly; and son, Jeffrey.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be given to BisonCares, 3850 Ohio Avenue, St. Charles, IL 60174.

Memorial visitation will be Tuesday, June 14 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm at Yurs Funeral Home located at 405 East Main Street, St. Charles, IL. A private memorial service for family and close friends will be held at Yurs Funeral Home at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 15.

To leave an online condolence for the family, visit the funeral homes obituary page at www.yursfuneralhomes.com. For more information, please call Yurs Funeral Home of St.  Charles, 630-584- 0060, or like us on Facebook.