Ronald Floyd Prescott

Ronald Floyd Prescott was born on Wednesday the 24th of August 1932 in Long Beach California. Ron was married for 62 years and had four children, eleven grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

He was raised in a family of very modest means with one brother and one sister. As a child he developed entrepreneurial instincts by delivering newspapers and raising chickens to sell eggs to make extra money for the family. On weekends his mother and father would work and Ron would stay with his Grandma Duck on a farm. During high school, Ron drove a ice cream truck to make extra money.

Ron attended Long Beach Jordan High School graduating in 1950. Right after graduation, Ron joined the workforce being employed by Hughes Aircraft Company as the youngest supervisor in their employ. When the Korean War broke out, Ron joined the US Navy attending boot camp in San Diego (1952). While in boot camp he went to a going away party for a friend in the Army when he met the love of his life – Donnajean Kershaw. Ron came up every weekend while in boot camp to be with Donna getting multiple speeding tickets along the way. They got engaged before being deployed. It was love at first sight and that love continued for more than 65 years.

Ron was deployed on ammunition ships travelling to Hawaii (Pearl Harbor), Japan, and Haiti as well as travelling through the Panama Canal. He was stationed in Norfolk Virginia for an extended time but was anxious to get out of the Navy to be with the love of his life. Ron served in the US Navy for two years, before he finagled his way to an early honorable discharge for the expressed purpose of marrying his love. Within two weeks of returning to Long Beach, they were married on 26 June 1954 at North Long Beach Christian Church with the reception at Aunt Curly’s house in Long Beach. They honeymooned in Carmel California and tried to meet Clint Eastwood at Hogsbreath. Even though they were unsuccessful at meeting Clint they were very successful in their lives and marriage.

After the honeymoon, Ron had to return to New York to receive his formal discharge on 14 July 1954. He came back to Long Beach and lived in a second floor apartment (#14) at 641 Carson St Long Beach California attended night school at Cerritos College and went to work for Hughes. Ron and Donna started their family in 1955 while working full-time and going to school at night. Ron was one of the first 13 students to graduate from Cerritos College in 1958.

Ron matriculated to USC in 1959 graduating with a degree in Business Administration in the early 1960’s while continuing to work and growing his family. They moved into their house on April 1st 1955 and have lived in their house continuously from that time. Ron and Donna had four kids

• Craig Allen born 15 July 1955
• Tobin (Toby) Arnold born 24 April 1957
• Troy Anthony born 1 July 1960
• Holly Anne born 24 January 1964

For the formative years of his kid’s lives, Ron was actively involved in their lives encouraging them to participate in sports and scouts while emphasizing school. Within the Lakewood Parks system, Ron coached the kids (both boys and girls) baseball, football and basketball teams. All through the high school years of his kids, Ron was at almost every sporting or major event in their lives.

Ron had a set of his childhood friends that he maintained a close relationship with all of their lives. Family vacations typically involved camping with the childhood friends and all of their families. Some summer vacations included trips to Mammoth to spend time with the Verhoefs.

Ron joined the Long Beach Elks and later transferred to the Bellflower Elks. He and Donna would bowl in leagues at the various bowling alleys in the Lakewood area, although Ron was never able to match his wife’s abilities until much later in life.

Ron continued his love affair with his children, dressing up like Santa Claus for kid’s events, going on camping trips with the Boy Scouts and various activities.

The kids got interested in raising Birmingham Roller pigeons. Ron not only supported the activity but took it to a whole new level. He became involved in making pigeon coups and planning breeding programs to enhance the pigeons for show. Saturday and Sunday mornings he used to enjoy letting the pigeons out and watching them fly for hours.

Ron retired from Hughes aircraft in 1983 after 35 years of service. In retirement they became interested in camping, purchasing their first RV and began camping adventures around the country. They were snowed in on May 30th in Jackson Hole Wyoming, saw the Tetons  and travelled all through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas stopping to see old friends that had moved throughout the country. They also joined a camping club with a group of Retired Hughes Aircraft retirees and went on camping adventures with the club. During this time, they made silent Valley a home away from home spending many summer months there over the years with kids, grandkids, family and friends - often joying grandkids visiting for weeks at a time.

As a neighbor, Ron also made efforts to get to know there neighbors. He was always there to lend a hand, tool or advice. Through the years they developed a special relationship with the West family watching after and supporting each other’s families. Ron and Keith West always had contests about who got their Christmas lights up first.

In 1985, Ron got his first set of season tickets for USC football and maintained those seats over the intervening 32 years until it became physically challenging to attend the games. He was able to go the 2016 USC- Notre Dame game where his beloved Trojans were able to manhandle the Irish.

In the later years, Ron and Donna enjoyed sitting on their front porch and talking with the neighbors. Ron took great pride in decorating his tree with birds, cartoon characters, wind chimes and other artifacts that would draw the attention of the school children on their way to school. Even as he got older making it difficult for him to attach them to the tree, he continued to purchase items and have others install them for him. It was important for him to do this for the school children that passed his house every morning on their way to school.
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