With deep sorrow, yet with the hope of the resurrection, we announce the passing of Ronald Lee Downing, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, pastor, and missionary, who went home to be with his Lord and Savior on August 25, 2026.

His life was a testimony to the transforming grace of God.

Ron was born on December 17, 1948 in Lima, Ohio, to Harold Downing and Linda Ison. He graduated from Bellefontaine High School in 1968 and attended The Ohio State University with plans to pursue a career in agriculture before ultimately finding his life calling as a Christian minister.

A significant portion of Ron’s adolescence was spent in the Logan County Children’s Home, where the longing for a family of his own began to root deeply in his heart. His prayers were answered when he was blessed with his loving wife, Dawn Elizabeth (Figley), whom he married on January 7, 1977. She and their five children were the pride and joy of his life.

As Ron grew in his faith, he felt God prompting him to pursue a life of ministry, a calling he answered with courage and conviction. He attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, which equipped him to spend his life passionately proclaiming the Gospel as a dynamic preacher and evangelist. His calling eventually took him beyond his homeland as a missionary to Indonesia, where he and his family faithfully served for years, sharing the message of Christ with the Indonesian community. Upon returning to the United States, he also served as a senior pastor in Ohio and Florida, shepherding and supporting those entrusted to his care.

Besides writing and delivering sermons, Pastor Ron enjoyed reading, debating, cheering for the Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Marlins, and morning coffee time with his Duckie.

In 2017, Pastor Ron’s life was dramatically altered when he suffered a devastating stroke that rendered him immobile and limited in his ability to speak. Yet even this did not cause his faith to falter, nor did it hinder him from continuing to minister from his hospital bed. His pulpit changed, but his purpose did not.

After years of living with the effects of his stroke and then fighting a brief but valiant battle with cancer, he left his earthly life and entered his eternal one.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Linda; his beloved son, Kyle Kristopher (Carolyn); his sister, Sheryl Anne, and his brother, Raymond.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Dawn; his children, Kyla, Kelly, Caleb (LaChell), and Kirk (Michelle); his grandchildren, Rade, Liev, Kriffyn, Andrew, Alexis, Emily, Alissa, Aaron, Cayla, Mason, Bryan, Henry, and Theo; his brothers, David (Sylvia) Smith, George (Renee) Smith, and Kevin (Jessica) Smith; and his sisters, Debbie (Don) Warnock and Cindy (Jim) Kinskey.

Pastor Ron leaves behind a lasting legacy of unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and devoted service to Him. He will be remembered by family, friends, former congregants, fellow missionaries, and countless others whose lives were profoundly touched by his ministry.

Today, those who mourn his passing do so with the confidence that death does not have the final word. Ron has been restored in the presence of his Savior, with whom he will reside for eternity. We will see him again.

Visitation and viewing will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Jennings, Farley & Seeley Funeral Home in West Liberty, Ohio. A memorial service honoring Pastor Ron’s life will begin at noon, with burial at Fairview Cemetery to follow.

Online Condolences may be expressed at www.jenningsfarley.com