Ronald "Ron" LaVerne Landis

Ron “Ronnie” LaVerne Landis, 89, of Marion, Iowa, peacefully passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Hiawatha Care Center, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. Ron was born on December 15, 1936, to Roger and Myrtle Landis in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He grew up in Cedar Rapids before moving to Marion, where he graduated from Marion High School with the class of 1955. Upon graduating, he worked for Collins Radio temporarily before joining the United States Navy. He served aboard a destroyer, the USS Nicholas, DDE449 in Yokosuka, Japan, then at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, before he was honorably discharged in 1957. He returned back to Marion, where he resided, and went back to work at Collins Radio, where he eventually retired from. He attended Marion Christian Church where he met and fell in love with his wife, Sharon Lorene Wilson, at a church picnic in 1958. They were united in marriage on January 17, 1959, at Marion Christian Church. He and Sharon raised their family in Marion, where they shared their love in marriage for 56 years, until Sharon’s untimely passing in 2015.

With the help of his daughter-in-law, Gloria, and his son, Roger, he was able to continue to reside in his home, where he lived for 61 years. The last several months of his life, Ron was taken care of with such genuinely compassionate and loving support. Ron was blessed to not only have an incredible caring and compassionate group of caregivers at the Hiawatha Care Center that provided such daily comfort. He was also supported and cared for weekly by St. Croix Hospice, who made each day comfortable for him. In addition to supporting Ron, St. Croix Hospice also supported our family with the same love and compassion that we will forever be grateful for.

Ron once said he never met a stranger, and he lived his life with that conviction. He always made the extra effort to make people smile and be happy in his presence. As a member of Marion Christian Church for over 75 years, members knew upon arriving for Sunday Church Service, could quite possibly receive a “warm Christian hug” from Ron. He also served as a Deacon for 59 of those years. A good and faithful servant of God and his Marion Christian Church congregation.

He is survived by his three children, Dawn Wheeler, Hiawatha, Iowa, Laurie (Hollie) Jenkins, Spencer, Oklahoma, and Roger (Gloria) Landis, Marion, Iowa; grandchildren, Aaron Wheeler (Martha), Matt Wheeler, Katie (Chris) Muckleroy, Jordan (Lauren) Alex, Joey Suitonu, and Kyle Landis; and his nine great-grandchildren. Ron is also survived by his lifelong close friends, David and Carolyn Evans.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Sharon; his parents; his sister, Joan; and his honorary parents, Chuck and DeVee Warner.

Per his wishes, he will be cremated. A private inurnment of Ron and Sharon’s cremains, along with their beloved cats, “Simon, Buddy, Amy, and Charlie”, will take place at a later date.

The family wishes a heartfelt thank you to the Hiawatha Care Center staff and the St. Croix Hospice family that provided such extraordinary care with so much daily compassion and understanding. Their goal was achieved with such a profound connection to relieve suffering with an amazing human connection. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Marion Christian Church or the Cedar Rapids Humane Society Animal Shelter.