Dr. Ronald E. Cole

April 29, 1932 - March 12, 2021

On Friday, March 12, 2021, Dr. Ronald E. Cole, loving husband and father of two, passed away at the age of 88.

Dr. Cole’s mother, Cecilia, was born in San Francisco, so when Ron was born on April 29, 1932, he became a second-generation San Franciscan. He graduated from Washington High School, did his undergraduate studies at Stanford University, and received his DDS dental degree from the University of California, San Francisco. He served two years in the US Air Force as a dentist starting in 1958, and followed that with a 42 year career as a family dentist, following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a dentist. In 1962, he married Lynn Melnik. Together, they raised a son, Ray, and a daughter, Laura. Ron had passions for education, politics, classical music—especially opera— science fiction, and dog training. Ron was one of the early supporters of the Gifted and Talented (GATE) program and worked hard to get it into the San Francisco public schools. He was active with the Northern California dog training community, wrote articles for dog club newsletters for many years, and traveled widely to attend dog shows and events.

Ron will be remembered for his service to the dog training community, for his love of music which he successfully passed on to his son, for his fierce intelligence, and, in his later years, for his delight in visits with his only grandchild, Matthew Wendover.

Dr. Cole was preceded in death by his father Joseph, his mother Cecilia, and his sister Beverly. He is survived by his wife Lynn of 58 years, his son Raymond Cole (Cindy), his daughter Laura Wendover (Donald), his grandson Matthew, and his cousin Diane Price who was like a sister to him.

You may remember Ron with a donation to a charity of your choice. The family would like to thank the staff of Westborough Manor and Hospice by the Bay for their care.

A small funeral service for immediate family has already been held. A larger memorial service will be announced at a date TBD after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.