Once again we report the loss of a beloved industry member. Ron Hettich, the Lead Technician for K40 Electronics for 32 years, passed away suddenly on October 6th after a stay in the hospital.
For decades, Ron, 63, helped industry members with patience and a willing ear. He took literally hundreds of thousands of tech support calls over the years, estimates Rachel Clark, K40 VP Sales & Marketing.
Peggy Finley Owner and President of K40 said he even took calls on his wedding day.
They described Ron as family. “He would pick up my daughter, who was 5 at the time, and take her to the babysitter. Unbeknownst to me until much later, it was on his motorcycle,” said Finley.
“He was the most giving, calming, accommodating, smart guy in the office. There was never a problem he didn’t want to help solve. He was the most patient… any dealer you run into would say the same thing–patience and good listening, he was the best in our industry,” Clark said.
“We have no words to express the emptiness Ron leaves behind,” she added.
Visitation for Ron is on October 15 from 5:00–9:00 pm, with a service at 7:00 pm, at:
Symonds-Madison Funeral Home
305 Park Street
Elgin, IL 60123
https://www.symondsmadison.com/obituary-ronald-ron…/
Lots of great memories with Ron in the 80’s working with him at Maxiguard / ABC. He was always happy and a mentor to me as I was just coming up in the industry. He continued to be my friend as his career advanced. He will certainly be missed.
I worked at Maxi-Guard in Elk Grove in the early 80’s and ran the ABC Auto Alarms store and Ron worked the Berwyn store. We saw each other often and became good friends. Around 1989-90..I went to work at K40 and shortly after, I brought Ron over to work with me. We would be out in the shop nearly every day installing radar detectors, CB Antennas and playing Arlo Guthrie’s CD Alice’s Restaurant and the Motorcyle and the Pickle Significance (we knew every work). After a couple years, I left to go to work at Avital and I’d asked Ron if he wanted to join me. He said “thanks but I really like this company. I’m going to stick it out here”. I understood his decision and agreed he should stay. K40 was the best company anyone in the 12 volt industry you could work for. I was proud of him then and I am still proud today for making the right choice. I’m going to miss my friend Ron.
Hey john , found out tuesday about ron passing , we have kept intouch all these years he loved watching movies and we would watch them and text during , I have monroe audio in florida last 25 years so we were apart but words cannot say how much iv missed him hope all is goid with you , love you ron ❤️
I worked with Ron back in the 80’s at ABC Auto Alarms in Berwyn, Il.
He was a well respected shop foreman and never intimidated to take on what others might not have tried.
When someone said you couldn’t put a remote starter into a stick shift vehicle, he would simply take the keys and get it done. My heart goes out to his family and K40.