Ronald D. Heisler, age 81, of Fargo, North Dakota, passed away peacefully on June 5, 2025, in Fargo. He was born in Esmond, North Dakota, in 1944, the youngest son in a bustling family of 9.
Growing up, Ron was known for his strong work ethic, holding many jobs as a kid. He was a talented athlete, enjoying all sports at Esmond High School, where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball.
After graduating high school, Ron married Elaine Pfau, and together they began to raise their family. They moved to Seattle, Washington, where Ron embarked on his career, starting work as a mechanic for Boeing. They later moved back to North Dakota, where Ron transitioned into the construction trades, working for various companies before venturing out to build houses on his own. In the mid-1970s, Ron took a position at Lake Region Community College, where he shared his expertise by teaching construction trades. His dedication to education extended to the athletic field as well; he began coaching the Women’s basketball team at LRCC in 1976, famously leading the team to the National tournament in 1983. He then worked at Little Hoop Community College in Fort Totten ND as a maintenance supervisor for eight years.
After he retired from teaching and coaching, Ron owned and operated a trailer park in Devils Lake before fully retiring and moving to Fargo. Throughout his life, Ron cherished watching his children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren participate in all kinds of sports and activities, always their biggest fan but always had a correction or two on what they could improve on for the next game. He was also known for great conversations about sports, building, and cars. He always had a story and enjoyed sharing all of his life experiences with people he knew. He could fix just about anything and taught his children to take care of what they had instead of always buying new. Ronald was definitely a jokester, although sometimes you didn’t know if he was serious or joking – but he always had some type of game for the grandkids to see if they could figure it out.
Ronald is survived by his loving sons, Jared (Cheryl) Heisler and Darren (Deb) Heisler, and his cherished daughter, Tonya Hannesson (Jason). He also leaves behind seven grandchildren Justin (Lexi), Casey (Nick), Andrew (Ariana), Brady, Emily (Rob), Hunter, Fisher and five great-grandchildren, Braxton, Navy, Rhett, Brooks, Daniel, who brought immense joy to his life. Ronald is also survived by his brother, Don Heisler.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Nickolas and Rose Heisler; his sisters, Rosie (Neal), Virginia (Merton), Monica (Gerald), and Connie, his brothers Rudy, Richard, and Raymond, and his beloved grandchildren, Alysha and Matthew. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Holy Cross Catholic Church in West Fargo, ND. A time for visitation and memory sharing will follow the Mass, with lunch provided. Ronald will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
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