Ronald (Ron) Lyda

Ronald (Ron) Lyda was born October 23, 1939 and was called to Heaven on September 6, 2015. Ron is survived by his wife of 54 years Betty Lyda, daughter Susan Nugent and son-inlaw Tim Nugent, son Kirk Lyda, grandsons Chris Nugent and wife Kaitlyn and Cody Nugent and wife Krista, great-granddaughter Bentley Nugent, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family and many, many friends. He was preceded in death by father Ernest Lyda, mother Mary Ellen Lyda, and sister Lynna Kundred. Ron was born in Hays, Kansas and was reared in Alexander, Kansas. Ron enlisted and honorably served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 - 1963, when he met and married the love of his life, Betty Smith, on June 24, 1961. Ron and Betty were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Susan, on March 24, 1963 at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, and the birth of their son, Kirk, on November 24, 1971, in Lubbock, Texas. Ron was further blessed with the marriage of his daughter Susan to Tim in 1983, followed by the birth of his twin grandsons Chris and Cody in 1990. The couple lived in Lubbock for 46 years until moving to Forney, Texas. Ron was graduated from Angelo State University (BS-Mathematics) and from Texas Tech University (Masters-Mathematics). Ron taught algebra and other math classes at McKenzie Junior High School in Lubbock for 32 years before his retirement. Ron positively influenced the lives of 1,000s of students, both by shaping their minds through math and teaching the principles of good living and citizenry. Ron and Betty often worked two jobs to ensure both their children had the resources to complete higher education. Ron was heavily involved in sports. He grew up playing football, baseball, and basketball. He then became the coach (and/ or very vocal sideline observer) for Kirk’s soccer teams, basketball, tennis, football, etc. Ron and Betty  spent the fall of 2008 touring Arkansas following the senior football season of Chris and Cody all the way to state playoffs. Ron was a life-long fisherman and loved playing card and domino games with friends and family. Ron and Betty purchased a lake house at Lake Brownwood, Texas in 1980, where countless family members and friends enjoyed their “recess get-away at the lake.” Ron cherished fishing with Betty’s father and spending summers at the lake with his kids and grandkids. Ron also loved river trout fishing trips in Arkansas with Tim and his grandsons. Upon moving from Lubbock to Forney in 2013, Ron was blessed to join the Senior Forney Christian Bass Club, with whom he enjoyed the comradery of fishing trips throughout north and east Texas. Ron and Betty enjoyed playing 42 dominos and other games with friends and family throughout Ron’s life. Building upon the mechanical skills passed to him by his father and his training of repairing and maintaining jet engines in the Air Force, Ron was always willing to lend a helping hand to friends and neighbors. Ron was proud to have passed along this knowledge and willingness to help to both of his grandsons. Ron and Betty loved to travel, having visited every state in the United States. They took their children throughout the country in travel trailer trips in earlier years. They took cruises to Alaska and throughout the Caribbean. They loved spending summers in the cool mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico and winters along the warmer Texas coast. Ron and Betty share a strong Christian faith, most recently as members of the First Baptist Church of Forney. Ron and Betty are blessed to have made such wonderful, caring friends in their Forney church family. The Family will receive friends at visitation on Thursday Sept. 10 from 9:00-10:00 at the First Baptist Forney Worship Center. The funeral ser vice will follow immediately from 10:00-11:00. There will be a Veteran’s Burial Service at the DFW National Cemetery in South Dallas beginning at 1:30 where Ron will be laid to rest.