So many people showed up at Ron Sperry’s celebration of life on April 16 at the Metropolitan Community Church following his March 10 passing from cancer at age 74.
It’s not hard to know why.
“You’re here today because you loved him,” said Senior Pastor Dan Koeshall to over 150 people.
“A beloved friend, dad, and grandpa,” said Koeshall. “Ron Sperry touched so many lives.”
For 10 years, a group from MCC met at the home of Sperry and his partner, Jim Burford, for spiritual discussions and a Bible study. It was officially called a MCC Spiritual Enrichment group and Ron became the moderator in 2008.
“As he was just entering his retirement years, we don’t know why he got sick,” said Koeshall.
Ron’s son, Daron Sperry, of Omaha, Nebraska, told the group one of his father’s passions was serving as president of the board of the Uptown Community Service Center. It was a program providing outreach to the homeless in San Diego.
“It remained dear to his heart,” said Daron Sperry about Uptown.
Daron Sperry said his father married his mother Darlene in 1968 and they had two sisters, Trina and Tonya. In 1977, Ron met Larry, his first partner, and they lived with Daron in Las Vegas.
Ron’s love of bowling was legendary. His bowling trophies were on display at the memorial service along with his Outstanding Citizen Nicky Award in 2013.
Daron said Ron founded a Gay bowling tournament in 1983, the first of its kind in Las Vegas. He also began the first Youth Bowling League in 1991.
Ron opened a trophy shop in 1983 with Larry until Larry’s death in 1997. He then moved to San Diego and opened RC Awards in North Park. He met Jim Burford in 1999, and Daron Sperry described Jim as “the love of his life”. They got married in 2019.
David Root said he visited Ron days before his death and took him flowers. “I’ll see you in heaven,” said Ron to him, David said. “He reassured me he knew where he was going.”
“He always put other people first,” said Rev. John Gill, who served as MCC’s interim pastor in 2007. “There was so much he did behind the scenes. It was my honor and privilege to minister alongside.”
“I loved him. He was so sweet,” said Denni Coslett. “He was so funny. I’m going to miss him.”
A video montage was shown of the passage of time with Ron. Some photographs on the screen had the caption “The years with hair” and “even more hair” to some laughter.
Al Smithson told an anecdote in which he was telling a group the long history of MCC’s founder, Rev. Troy Perry, and Sperry made a joke to Al to speed him along by saying, “enough about you.”
Another passion Ron had was gardening. Jim is now tasked with watering over 400 plants.
“Sperry stubbornness is the stuff of legends, but that stubbornness results in fierce loyalty to friends and family, devoted commitment to love and community, and the remarkable life of a man that will not soon be forgotten,” said Daron Sperry.
Ron was interred in the family plot in Las Vegas on March 20. His daughter Trina tragically passed away in 2013. After her passing, her two daughters, Aubrey and Meriya, came to live with Ron and Jim, and they became their legal guardians.
His memory will live on in the family he leaves behind–his husband Jim, his daughter Tonya and her husband Steven, son, Daron, and his wife Brooke, and his eight grandchildren.
I adores Ron and Jim they were the epitome of a happy couple. I lost touch with them both after I moved from Vegas they were thought of often and when I heard Ron had passed away I was floored I would be lying if I did not I shed a year or two. I wanted to reach out to Jim and get reconnected but had no way of reaching him I hope he knows I share his pain and grief as with his other friends and family. 385-445-4244 [email protected] if by chance he gets to see this is appreciate hearing from you