Ronald R. Lein
May 30, 1937 – March 21, 2021
On Sunday, March 21, 2021, at the age of 83, Ron passed away at the hospital from cardiac arrest. He was hoping for a new heart valve but it was not to be. He was born in Dolgeville, New York on May 30, 1937 to Rosalyn and Raymond Lein. On August 23, 1958, he married “the girl next door”, Barbara Tucker, and together they left their hometown for Miami, Florida where he enrolled at the University of Miami. He graduated with a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering in 1963 and accepted a position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Canaveral District at Merritt Island, FL, working on facilities to put a man on the moon by 1970. In 1968, he transferred to the Corps at Huntsville, AL to work on the Safeguard Program, designing and constructing facilities to protect our offensive nuclear weapons facilities. In 1984, he was named Chief of the Structural Branch of the Civil Structures Division, and in 1988 he was selected as Chief of that Division as well as a dual position as Chief of Design. He was selected as the Society of American Military Engineers Engineer of the Year in 1988. In 1991, he was selected as Director of Engineering, supervising 200 engineers and technicians, and was responsible for the engineering aspect of multiple programs with a budget totaling approximately $800M. He retired in 2002 after 39 years of service with the Corps. In 2004, he was inducted into the Huntsville Center Gallery of Distinguished Civilians and was recognized as a Distinguished Civilian Employee for leadership as the Director of Engineering for building and leading a team of engineers and technical professionals working on some of the Army’s most technically challenging and diverse programs worldwide. Ron was a Licensed Professional Engineer in Alabama, Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa.
His hobbies included gardening, tennis with his pals, and summers spent fishing at the family camp in upstate New York. He loved the outdoors and was an avid walker, enjoying daily walks wherever he was. Ron was devoted to the family church at Valley United Methodist in Huntsville, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for a number of years. In his later years he worked tirelessly to maintain the building and grounds, always believing in giving and serving.
Most of all, Ron loved his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Barbara; daughter, Julie Curbeam (Dennis Gavagan) of Woodbine, MD; son, Greg (Lori) of Montgomery, three grandchildren, Eva Curbeam Wundrow of Naperville, IL, Emerson Curbeam, of Ocean Pines, MD, and Brennan Lein, Montgomery, AL. Also surviving are three sisters, Carol Smith of Schenectady, NY, Judy Belden (Dave) Dolgeville, NY, and Joan Lein also of Dolgeville.
Visitation will be from 11 to 12 Friday, April 9 at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. A memorial service will follow in the chapel with the Revs. Wren Clanton and Tim Tatum officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Valley United Methodist Church, 1410 Drake Ave. SE, Huntsville, AL 35802.
