RONALD “RON” KEATON

Ronald Leroy “Ron” Keaton, 94, of Saint Clairsville, Ohio, passed away on November 9, 2020 at Continuing Health Care at Forest Hills in Saint Clairsville, Ohio.

Ron was born on September 13, 1926, in Helenwood, Tennessee, the son of the late Ozvil Dillard Keaton, and the late Rena Jones Keaton. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Agnes Jean Dickson Keaton, and his brother, Ralph Connard Keaton.

Ron graduated from Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, WV. He attended West Virginia University for a short time before being drafted into the Army in the fall of 1944. He arrived in Europe six weeks before the end of World War II where he was in the 106th Infantry Division. After the end of the war in Europe, he was in the 3rd Armored Division which was training to invade Japan when the war ended. He then was stationed in Germany in the occupation troops until 1946.

Ron and Jean were married when he returned from the war. He is survived by their four children, Karen (Rod) Nichols of Hamilton, Ohio; Dan (Pam) Keaton of Southlake, Texas; Bill of Portland, Maine; and Jeff (Jennifer) of Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Andrea, Ellen, Kourtney, Kerri, Allison, Matt, Ben, and Eli; and three great grandchildren, Finnegan, Sullivan, and Tycen. He is also survived by his sister, Ramona Eckler of Virginia, and several nieces and nephews.

Ron started his work career in the coal fields of southern West Virginia. He received his miner’s certification in 1948, and his foreman’s certificate in 1957. In 1959, he went to work as a coal mine inspector for the state of West Virginia, and then worked as a mine superintendent at the Siltex Mine in Mount Hope, West Virginia, in the mid-sixties.

After a mine explosion at this mine killed seven miners, he became a Federal coal mine inspector and the remainder of his career was devoted to coal mine safety. He eventually became one of only ten District Managers for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, over-seeing mine safety in northern West Virginia and south-eastern Ohio. He retired in 1994.

A service for the family will be held at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 11:30 a.m., with interment at Huse Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to service time at the funeral home.

Due to COVID-19 guidelines for those wishing to attend services, everyone must wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Friends and family may sent words of comfort to the family at www.doddpaynehess funeralhome.com.

Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home, Fayetteville, will be assisting the family.