On Nov. 2, after watching the conclusion of the World Series with family in his home, Ron “Papa” Tagman peacefully passed. Ron is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 55 years, Linda, as well as daughters, Roni Sue Phillis (Aaron) and Holly Klingelhoffer (Jeff); sister Marilyn Glasgo (Jack) and sister-in-law Betty Tagman. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Billie Dickinson (Tighe), Josie Toyra, Hunter Klingelhoffer, Cody Klingelhoffer, Nathan Klingelhoffer, and the “apple of his eye” – great -granddaughter Scout Dickinson.
In addition to his family, Ron was “Everybody’s Papa” and is survived by the countless softball girls whose lives were touched by him.
Ron is preceded in death by his parents, John and Joyce Tagman, as well as his uncle, Erwin Tagman, brother Dick Tagman, great-grandson Ace Dickinson, and his two beloved dogs – Tango and Darby.
Ron was born on April 19, 1948, in Aberdeen. He grew up on the family dairy farm, tending to cows with his dad, uncle and brother. A lifelong Montesano Bulldog and voted “Most Popular” in the Class of 1966, Ron was the quarterback of the football team and point guard on the basketball team. While attending Montesano High School, Ron met “Class Cut-Up” Linda Sue Klinger and went on to love her for the next 60 years.
Four days after Linda turned 18, Ron and Linda married at the Shelton Catholic Church. In the years that followed, Ron worked on the family farm and attended Grays Harbor College. During this time, Ron and Linda welcomed their first daughter, Roni Sue. After completing his studies at GHC, Ron and Linda moved to Ellensburg where Ron studied business administration and economics at Central Washington University.
After graduation from CWU, Ron and Linda moved back to the family farm and they welcomed their daughter Holly Lynn.
The family of four would eventually move to the big city — Montesano — where they bought their first and only home across the street from the ballpark that would be central to their lives over the next 50 years. Upon moving to town, Ron began work as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service in Aberdeen. He was promoted to floor supervisor and later to assistant postmaster. He’d eventually take the postmaster job in Montesano. During his tenure, the Montesano post office installed the drive thru drop-off boxes that still service Bulldogs and out-of-towners today — an accomplishment he was particularly proud of.
Raising two young girls, Ron first became active in the Montesano Girls Softball Association. In the backyard of their home, Ron taught Roni Sue how to pitch with plenty of broken windows in the garage to show for it. From time to time, his passion for his players could be easily confused for a hot temper that usually manifested in an old ballcap hitting the dirt with considerable force. He coached Rottle’s Rascals — the first local team to ever win the ASA state championship — as well as the Grays Harbor Lites. He’d go on to coach both of his granddaughters on the two different iterations of the Dragin’ Magic softball team.
From a bucket behind a chain link fence, Ron coached teams that went on to national tournaments and won state and regional championships, as well as countless weekend tournaments. Several athletes coached or mentored by Ron went on to play softball at the collegiate level — including at the Division I level. More important to him than anything, athletes coached by Ron went on to be wonderful humans, loving mothers, and successful coaches themselves who were never hesitant to stop by the house for a cup of coffee and an opportunity to reminisce.
Aside from weekends at the softball field, Ron loved to spend his time picking berries with Aunt Terri, golfing, going on camping trips at the Wincewicz gravel bar and the occasional trip to the casino. However, there was nothing that Ron loved more than being a grandparent to Billie, Josie, Hunter, Cody, Nathan and Scout. He loved watching Alabama football (Roll Tide!) with Billie, rebounding Josie’s shots in the driveway, trips to California to watch Hunter play baseball, watching Cody burn up the cross country trails and talking sports statistics with Nathan. More recently, he loved watching Sesame Street with Scout.
Ron and Linda loved to travel. They enjoyed the annual trip to Arizona for spring training, a 25th anniversary trip to Disney World, road trips up and down the west coast and to Minnesota to visit family, traveling to San Antonio to watch Cody run, weekends in Las Vegas for the gambling and trips to New Orleans for the food.
Loving, wise, loyal, generous, and a bit cantankerous from time-to-time, he was as supportive and as caring of a husband, dad, and papa as we could possibly ever imagine. For those of us lucky enough to be loved by Papa, we are left with absolutely no doubt about how special we were to him. Our greatest hope is that he has absolutely no doubt about how special he is to us.
An open house celebration of life will be held at the Dickinson home (933 W Simpson) in Montesano on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. The family suggests memorials be made to the Larry Quinn Memorial Scholarship Fund through Montesano High School or to the Montesano Fire Department.
