Ronald Dean Toles

Ronald Dean Toles, 83, passed peacefully from this life into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, October 11, 2025, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, and is already sorely missed. Ron lived out his faith by loving his family and serving others well.

Ron was born on Mother’s Day, May 10, 1942, in Pontiac, Michigan, to Dean and Kathleen Toles.

He graduated from Waterford High School in Waterford, Michigan in 1960, and then attended Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, receiving a degree in Engineering. While a student there, he met and fell deeply in love with Ingalill Eriksson, and they married following graduation in 1964. He then furthered his education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he graduated in 1966 with a Master of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering.

His aerospace career began in Texas working with NASA contractor TRW on the new Apollo project, eventually taking him to Wisconsin and Florida, then back to Texas where he began working on the early Space Shuttle flight control system. In 1978 he decided he had had enough of the Texas coast, and the family moved to Weatherford, Texas, where he went to work for General Dynamics, which later became Lockheed-Martin, in Fort Worth. His specialization was the design of flight control systems for fighter aircraft, especially the F-16. He retired from Lockheed in 2004.

Retirement did not slow Ron down. He shared his love of math, particularly calculus, as a tutor for the Success Connection at Weatherford College from 2006-2017. He volunteered regularly at his church, Lakeshore Baptist, where he served faithfully as needed on various committees, and he could also frequently be found mowing the church grounds and helping with projects around the campus. As a younger man he volunteered as a Big Brother in Pinellas County, Florida, and later, was a faithful volunteer for both Manna and the Parker County Center of Hope.

When not working or volunteering, Ron could usually be found out at the barn and, after retirement, was able to spend plenty of time enjoying his lifelong passion of raising, training, and showing American Quarter Horses. He was a member of the North Texas Range Riders club and the American Quarter Horse Association. In later years he took up the sport of Competitive Trail Riding, winning multiple competitions on horses he had raised and trained himself.

Ron was always ready to live out his faith by lending a hand to a friend, neighbor, or anyone in need, whether that meant using his pickup to help them move or mowing their pasture for them when they were too busy. He frequently struck up conversations with strangers, always seeming to find common ground, and was good at staying in touch with family and friends from his past.

Ron is preceded in death by his parents Dean and Kathleen Toles.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ingalill Toles (Eriksson); daughter Erika Toles of Weatherford; daughter and son-in-law Kara and Trey Cobb of Weatherford; grandson Bryson Cobb and wife Chandler of Flower Mound; and granddaughter Emmi Cobb, of Weatherford. He is also survived by siblings Richard, Greg, and Kathy.

The family wishes to thank the kind staff of Windsor Court Senior Living and Memory Care, as well as Beyond Faith Hospice, for their compassionate care during the final months of his battle with Alzheimer’s.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for Ron at Lakeshore Baptist Church in Hudson Oaks, Texas, on Wednesday, October 22 at 10:30 a.m. Anyone who knew Ron and wishes to celebrate his life is welcome to attend.