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Our gift from God has been called home. Ronnie Attaway, at the age of 42 passed quietly from this life at his home on Oct. 23, 2018.
After three years of treatment for leukemia, the disease may have taken his body, but it could not take his spirit. To the end he expected to be a miracle, but to us he is and always will be that miracle. On the day he was baptized and presented to the church, and the pastor held him aloft and said, “Behold a child of God.” We knew this from the beginning and did our best to raise this child of God and know now that he did become a much admired and loved man of God.
Ronnie had always been a goal setter; whether it was that next belt in Tae Kwon Do or the next rank in JROTC, he did the work to achieve the prize. As Ronnie was growing and learning, we knew that he needed to be exposed to everyday life with all of the good and bad. Some looked down on him, but the vast majority looked at him and saw a person worth knowing and the good he had to offer.
Everyone has someone in life who they say influenced them the most and Ronnie would say that person was his brother Gene. As they were growing, Gene taught and showed Ronnie many things, some good and some not. During Ronnie’s treatment, Gene gave his stem cells to Ronnie, without that act of selfless love, Ronnie would have lost this fight two years earlier.
Ronnie is survived by his parents, Ron and Chris Attaway; his brother; Gene (Cecilia Aguilar) Attaway and his nieces, Krisanna and Kaitlyn Attaway; his beloved Aunt Gay and Uncle Jerry Malett and his many other uncles, aunts and cousins.
We, Ronnie’s family want you, this local community to know how much you mean to us for all the love and respect that you have given to us and especially to Ronnie without expectation. We send our special thanks to the Mayo Clinic Hospital and their extremely gifted and caring staff for the compassionate loving care given to Ronnie while receiving his treatments in Phoenix.
In lieu of flowers, cards and or donations for his cost of treatment may be sent to 607 W. Euclid Ave., Globe, Ariz. 85501.
A celebration of his life will be at High Desert Middle School, 4000 High Desert Dr., Globe, (on the east side of Globe) at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018.
Assisting the family was Lamont Mortuary of Globe.
