Ronald W Wynkoop, Sr.

Ronald W. Wynkoop Sr. 84, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, died Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.

Born Dec. 30, 1931, in Wellsville, Ohio, he was one of two sons of Walter R. Wynkoop Sr. and Catherine (Wolf) Wynkoop.

Along with the former Veronica Casey, his bride of 54 years whom he married on Valentine’s Day in 1953, he had five children, Karen W. Kelly, wife of  Donald E. Jr. of Lopatcong Township, New Jersey.; Ronald W. Jr. of Naples, Florida; Dianne L. Vevasis, wife of Raymond of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania; Michelle Craig of Naples, Florida, and Timothy and his wife Lisa of Phillipsburg; 10 grandchildren, Bridget Kelly, Ronald W. III and Christopher Wynkoop, Jacob Vevasis, Alexzandria James, KD Lorraine Richardson Khan and her husband, LJ Khan, Rebekah, Juliana, Abby and Owen Wynkoop, and five great-grandchildren, Jocelyn, Lita, Jayce, Nathan, and Alexandria.

His wife Veronica and his brother, Walter R. Wynkoop Jr., both died earlier.

Ron graduated in 1951 from Phillipsburg High School, where he served as a color guard in the band and was on the school’s first swim team.

He was a private first class in the Marine Corps, serving with Dog Co., 2nd Bat., 7^th Marines during the Korean War in North Korea.

He worked from 1952-56 as a chemical operator at J.T. Baker Chemical Co, in Phillipsburg.

He graduated from the New Jersey State Police Academy in Sea Girt and in August 1956 he became a patrolman with the Phillipsburg Police Department. He later became a detective and the department’s first juvenile officer and also served as a photographer for the department. He left the police department in 1968 to head the security office at Lafayette College. He retired from Lafayette in 1995.

He authored five pictorial history books that covered Phillipsburg and Easton: “The Forks of the Delaware Area” in 1966; “The Golden Years” in 1970; “The Old Home Town” in 1977, “A Time to Remember” in 1985 and “It Seems Like Yesterday” in 1989. He presented more than 600 slide programs to area organizations and he helped countless others with their historical research endeavors.

He was a co-founder, former trustee and charter member of the Phillipsburg Area Historical Society. He was a member of the Warren County Historical & Genealogical Society and the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society, Northampton County Detachment, Marine Corps League;  Phillipsburg Railroad Historians; Titanic International Society Inc., Greenwich Township Historical Society, Jacobsburg Historical Society, Dog Seven Association and the Bernardine-May American Legion Post No. 457. He served on the Warren County, New Jersey and Easton, Pennsylvania, Bicentennial Celebration Commissions in 1975.

The Phillipsburg Historical Society honored Ron’s contributions to the preservation of the town’s history by holding “Ron Wynkoop Day” on June 30, 1990, at Walters Park.

Also, he assisted various authors in the publications of historical interests. In addition to his books, Ron shared his knowledge of history through slide presentations to civic groups, church socials, school associations and classes and banquets to present audio/visual history of the Easton-Phillipsburg area via the following personally produced 35mm slide/sound programs: The Golden Years (Both Easton and Phillipsburg segments), The College on the Hill (Lafayette College), Inns and Taverns of Easton, A Day at the Park (local amusement parks), Iceberg Right Ahead (RMS Titanic sinking) and Thomas A. Edison.

He was made an honorary member of the Phillipsburg Rotary Club.

He was proud to have been awarded by the NJ State Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association for “Commendable Service Performed on June 30, 1967,” when as a member of the Phillipsburg Police Department he saved the life of a man drowning in the Delaware River.

He received numerous awards, including Outstanding Citizen Award from the Phillipsburg Area Chamber of Commerce in 1994, Outstanding Citizen of the Year from the Easton Sertoma Club in 1995, the Elizabeth Firth Wade Community Spirit Award from the Joseph H. Firth Youth Center, Phillipsburg, in 2006, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Titanic International Society in 2009, The Chapel of Four Chaplains, The Legion of Honor Award in 2009; Outstanding Citizen Award from Historic Easton Inc. in 1989 and an Outstanding Alumnus of Phillipsburg High School in 1988. He was inducted into the Phillipsburg High School Wall of Fame in 2002.

A visitation period will be held noon to 8:00 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in the Noto-Wynkoop Funeral Home, 289 South Main St, Phillipsburg. Burial services will be private for the family. Online condolences may be recorded by visiting www.noto-wynkoop.com.

Donations in Ron’s name can be made to the Phillipsburg Area Veterans, c/o Bill Nixon, 626 Youngs Road, Phillipburg; The Phillipsburg Area Historical Society, 675 Corliss Ave., Phillipsburg, or to the charity of one’s choice.

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