Ronald Cluff Dike was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1940 in Samaritan Hospital, Nampa, Idaho. He was the oldest of four children born to Reason Thomas and Dora Bingham Cluff Dike. He attended Nampa schools: Roosevelt, Central Junior High and Nampa Senior High graduating in 1959. Ron excelled in sports at Nampa High earning his Varsity letter in football, basketball, and track all four years. He was awarded a full academic football scholarship to Brigham Young University where he played for his freshman year after which he decided to stay home in Nampa to prepare to go on a mission for the Church. He ultimately met and married his first wife Veloy Boswell from American Fork, Utah. They made their home in Nampa and had two daughters, Kristin and Angela. Ron was employed in several jobs in Nampa before becoming a City of Nampa police officer which then led him to apply to Morrison Knudsen Company as a security officer in their project in Vietnam during the war. Three years in Vietnam resulted in his divorce. Upon returning home he worked in Arizona, Massachusetts and Michigan before returning to the Treasure Valley. He met and married Janice Hogaboom and after several years they established a very successful hearing aid business in Boise. Ron and Janice were divorced in 2013 after over 30 years of marriage. Ron loved to travel both by motorhome and on cruises. He and Janice went on several caravans into Mexico and cruises to many countries including most of South America and China. He loved to fish and over the years fished in Alaska as well as by boat in Idaho and Arizona. After retirement they were winter visitors in Arizona and rode ATV's there as well as in Idaho and Utah. In 2013 Ron married his wife Judith Pilant Litt, a widow from his high school class. Ron and Judy had been friends in high school and dated in their junior year and had remained friends from many years. They went on their first cruise together in 2014 and a trip to Arizona where they had both lived and been winter visitors in retirement. Ron baptized Judy as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February of 2014 and they were sealed together in the Boise LDS Temple in 2015. July 2015 Ron was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and after chemo and radiation therapy he underwent surgery to remove the cancer and then his entire esophagus. He was on a feeding tube for nine months before going to Utah for reconstruction surgery to use his small intestine to form a new esophagus which was very successful. He was declared cancer free two years later. The big snow storms of 2016 brought a fall shoveling snow in the driveway and Ron broke his right hip and shoulder on Christmas Eve. Surgery, rehab and healing made him able to walk with a cane, and he and Judy began taking trips again, in the motor home, to Arizona and one more cruise before he fell again in February 2018 when he broke his left hip. Recovery was very slow and he was put on oxygen full time because of heart and lung problems. Walking with a walker and portable oxygen became the norm until his recent health issues. Ron was preceded in death by his parents Tom and Dora Dike; brother Layne Dike; and close cousin Roger Nelson. He is survived by his wife Judy Dike; daughters Kristin Dike of Murray, UT, and Angela (David) McDonald of Meridian, ID; ex-wives Veloy and Janice; brother Jan Dike and sister Peggy Leonard, both of Nampa, ID; cousin Roger's wife Carolyn Nelson of Melba, ID; step-daughters Jennifer (Todd) Durrant of Nampa and Lisa (Michael) Korber of Meridian; his grandson Levi Pauftell and step-grandchildren: Natalie Scott, Gabriel and Chloe Korber, Cheyenne and Dakota Alldredge. At Ron's request there will be a viewing held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 26 at Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N Midland Blvd in Nampa with a grave dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday, December 27, at Kohlerlawn Cemetery, 76 6th St. N. in Nampa. Arrangements by Zeyer Funeral Chapel, Nampa. 208-467-7300. Condolence may be expressed at ZeyerFuneralChapel.com. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Fund or The Lung Association or Kidney Foundation in his name. May he rest in peace.
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