Ronald A. Gaertner, 85, of Charleston, WV, passed away from complications of Lewy body disease at Kanawha Place on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Ron was born in Saginaw, MI, and was the only son of the late Albert and Ella (Coppinger) Gaertner. A graduate of Saginaw High School, he earned an A.S. degree from Bay City Junior College, B.S. and M.S. degrees in Wildlife Management from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Arkansas.  He spent three years as a post-doc and visiting research scientist at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. He retired from West Virginia Institute of Technology after 30 years as Professor of Biology.

Survivors include his loving wife, Lisa Ferrara, numerous cousins in Michigan and surrounding states, and many in-laws in New England.

His love of nature and skills in wildlife photography led him to his travels across the world: from Canada and the U.S. to Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. He enjoyed hiking, cross-country skiing, or simply walking in forests, on mountaintops, and along beaches. He loved his dogs, especially his toy poodles: Cookie, Fiona, Finian, and Astra.

He was a devoted husband, a dedicated mentor to his students, and a good and kind friend. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

A special note of appreciation is expressed to the workers of HospiceCare WV, who cared for Ron in Putnam and Kanawha Counties, showing him kindness and giving him dignity in his last weeks of life.

A celebration of his life will be held at Snodgrass Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 7 p.m., with a visitation beginning at 5:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or to the Nature Conservancy in West Virginia (www.nature.org).

Memories of Ron may be shared by visiting http://snodgrassfuneral.com and selecting the obituary. Arrangements are in care of Snodgrass Funeral Home, South Charleston.