George Ronald “Ron” Crees, surrounded by his loving family, peacefully went home to the Lord on February 21, 2022. Ron was born to Silas and Norma Jean (Bentley) Crees on April 20, 1951, in Melbourne, Florida.
In 1972, Ron married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer Slater, in Fort Shaw, MT and spent the next fifty years keeping the spark and romance alive while they raised their four children together. Ron enlisted in the U.S. Air Force shortly after their marriage and was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls until 1978.
Ron could fix anything and renovated many homes. He was flipping houses in Great Falls before it was even a thing. After discharge from the Air Force, Ron and his family lived in Shelby, MT and later moved to Conrad where Ron designed and built medical alarms and worked with Easter Seals for the installation. In 1988, Ron attended Billings Vo-Tech for HVAC training and subsequently worked at Sweetheart Bakery for the next 14 years.
Ron and Jennifer relocated to Florida in 2004 and started a handyman business. With four hurricanes within six months, Ron and Jen kept very busy for the next three years. Ron then went to work at the Calvary Chapel of Melbourne as maintenance supervisor for the next seven years. Ron and Jennifer returned to Montana in 2015 where he was employed as grounds maintenance at Montana Credit Union. He joyfully played Santa Claus for the credit union each year until retiring in 2018 and returning to Melbourne, Florida.
Ron is survived by his wife, Jennifer; son, Chuck (Dwi) Crees; daughters, Amy (Matt) Whittle, Michelle Crees, and Amanda Armstrong; 8 grandchildren; sisters Rheba Jo Simpson and Marlo Weinstein; and brothers Chip Crees and Bill Santarelli; his father, Silas Ray Crees; and many more beloved extended family members who will miss him dearly.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
