Ronald Winston Polk

SFC (R) Ronald “Ron” W. Polk was born on January 5, 1947, in Denver, Colorado, to Fredrick W. Polk and Cordelia V. (Romero) Polk. He grew up in a large and loving family with his parents, six brothers, and one sister: Freddie, Robert (Bobby), Billie (Leonard), Harry, Ernest, Gary, and Lettie. Often, as a child, he would do odd jobs, like shoveling snow, to help financially support his family. Ron was educated in the Denver Public Schools.

After high school, Ron was drafted into the United States Army, where he served with honor from 1967 to 1991 as a combat medic. His distinguished service earned him multiple awards, including the Bronze Star Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, and the Combat Medic Badge. His career took him to Vietnam, Germany, Colorado, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Hawaii, Minnesota, and several mobilizations to South Korea in support of Operation Team Spirit. Ron proudly completed two consecutive tours in Vietnam—one of them voluntarily taken to serve with his brother Leonard.

Among his fondest memories of military service were building a clinic for orphans in Vietnam and serving as a field hospital expert in an episode of Magnum P.I. while stationed in Hawaii. Most meaningful of all was meeting the love of his life, Janet (DeLancey) Polk, while both were stationed at Fitzsimons Army Medical Hospital in Denver. The two married and shared fifty-four years together—“love at first leg,” as he liked to say.

Ron never knew a stranger. He had an extraordinary gift for learning languages and appreciating cultures, which allowed him to connect easily with everyone he met. He was known for his generosity—quietly buying meals or covering a stranger’s tab at the grocery store—simply because it was in his nature to help. In his youth, he loved baseball, playing in Little League and throughout high school. He remained an avid collector, especially of baseball cards, though he enjoyed collecting other sports memorabilia and coins as well.

Following his retirement from the Army, Ron continued a life of service. He worked for twelve years as the sterile procedures department lead at Fairview Ridges in Eagan, later served as a security officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and worked in additional security roles in Arizona, where he and Janet eventually retired to be closer to their grandchildren.

Ron is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Janet; his brothers Freddie, Bobby, and Leonard; his daughter Tyla Seabrooks; and his great-grandson Deshon Baker.

He is survived by his children Lenet Johnson; Shannon (Patrick) Donaldson; and Ronald “Todd” (Brandy) Polk; his grandchildren, Nyasha Johnson, Asia Seabrooks, Thomas Donaldson, Katherine Donaldson, Josephine Donaldson, Elizabeth Donaldson, Kobe Polk, and Madison Polk; and his great-grandchildren, Malaiha Johnson, Tyus Williams, Mariah Baker, and Michael Baker. He is also remembered with love by many in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.