RIP Ron Stone

My uncle Ron was a guy I was never close to. He was the youngest of the Stones and although we did get along mostly, when he was drinking he changed into a person I never recognized. I didn't find out he died until today - about 5 years after he passed away on December 4, 2012.

I invited him to my first wedding back in 1996 to kind of let him know I forgave him pulling a knife on me and my brother back in the early 90's at my Grandma's house. I remember it well, he was lementing about his life and I cockily suggested since he made his bed, he might as well lie in it.

He got angry and kicked me and my brother out of my grandma's house. Problem is my truck was stuck behind his car. We had to walk to our cousin's place and crash the night there. I didn't know, but when my brother and I were sleeping they went over and beat the crap out of him. He also got into a fight with my other uncle back in the mid 1980's right on the front lawn: He wanted a ride to some place in Portage but my uncle wasn't going anywhere. Ron stabbed the spare tire of my uncle's truck and it was on: Both fighting in the front yard, my dad in the living room. "Should we break it up?" I asked my dad. "Nah, let them fight. He needs a lesson".

The RCMP pulled my uncle Jim off Ron and took him away. Flash forward to 1997 and he called me out of the blue telling me he had some tools of my dad's. He was off his rocker and started swearing at me over the phone. I said if I ever saw him again I'd murder him.

And that was the last time I ever spoke to him.

Kind of bummed we never made up. I realize now he had serious problems with booze and drugs.

I used to joke with my brother about "his uncle Ron" as to give ownership about this guy. Cracks me up to this day - except after I heard he passed away.

RIP Uncle Ron.