Maureen Dearing was born in Seattle on May 22, 1940, shortly before WW2. Her family considered their ancestors to be from Ireland and North Carolina, with some small Cherokee contribution. Maureen knew from an early age that she wanted to be a nurse, and obtained her Registered Nurse bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in 1962. In the summer of her initial year at hospital work, she met Don Ronken, and they were married in June of the following year. They first lived near the UW campus while Don completed graduate school, and Maureen worked as a nurse in medical clinics.

In 1967, Don’s research studies took them to Del Mar, California, where they welcomed their daughter, Marci. In 1969, the family moved to St. Louis, and their son, Matt, joined the family a year later. They settled into a home in University City that they would cherish for over 50 years. Once her children were in their older grades, Maureen returned to nursing, working evening shifts for a short period in a rehabilitation hospital, and then at Washington University’s Student Health Service, where she enjoyed the challenge of engaging with young patients and doctors from different cultures. After 18 years at WashU, she finally retired from nursing.

With both of them retired, Maureen and Don embraced the Midwest outdoors, which they found to be very different from their youthful experiences along the West Coast. Hiking Missouri’s national forests by foot, they encountered poison ivy and ticks for the first time. They subsequently discovered that a two-person kayak allowed them to explore still waters of local rivers and lakes, where they treasured their peaceful close encounters with the natural world.
Despite developing severe osteoarthritis in her later years, Maureen continued to enjoy the outdoors on her wrap-around porch at home, where she could watch the local wildlife and the neighborhood children playing. Especially important to her was continuing to attend the sporting events of her two grandsons, and worshiping at Samuel Church.

Maureen and Don were injured in a severe car accident from which she did not recover, passing away on June 28, 2024, which happened to fall on the 61st anniversary of their marriage. She is survived by her husband Don Ronken, daughter Marci Kelley, son Matt Ronken, his grandsons Christian and Cole, and her younger brother Chuck Dearing, who lives with his family in Seattle.

A memorial service is planned for August 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., reception to follow.

Samuel United Church of Christ

320 N Forsyth Blvd

Clayton, Missouri 63105

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to ANRF, the Arthritis National Research Foundation, in Maureen’s memory.