Today, Ronda Thompson’s family and friends gathered at her church and said good-bye.
The tribute was a beautiful one, with gorgeous sprays of flowers and other sentiments sent from people across the nation. A tenor soloist sang I Can Only Imagine and To Where You Are, two songs that never fail to move people on a normal day, much less a sad day like today. The minister delivered a moving eulogy that not only caused us to tear up, but to laugh, too. And Ronda would have loved that, she had a wonderful sense of humor.
My favorite story told about Ronda was when the pastor recalled one of Ronda’s grade school teachers asking her if she thought she could earn a living daydreaming all day instead of doing her work. Then he said, “I guess Ronda got the last laugh on that one.”
Because Ronda DID follow her daydreams, and in doing so, fulfilled her dream of becoming a writer. And aren’t all of her readers and fellow writers glad she did?
One of her friends put together a tribute to her in a booklet form, full of quotes from fellow writers. It was a very thoughtful and great thing to do in her memory.
Ronda’s last book will come out in October. I’ll remind everyone of it when the time comes.
The minister reminded us that this is not the end of Ronda’s story, only the end of this chapter on Earth. I find it interesting that Ronda passed the same week as First Lady of the Romance Genre, Kathleen Woodiwiss and Former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
Imagine Ronda at the Pearly Gates with those two, huh? What a way to start the rest of her story in eternity!
July 17, 2007 at 4:35 am
Sounds like you had lots of fun. That’s the way it should be. Good on you.
September 27, 2007 at 3:31 pm
[...] book is the last work Ronda produced before her untimely death earlier this [...]
January 10, 2008 at 3:49 am
I just finished Ronda’s third Wulf’s book and read that it said she was working on #4. So, I hopped online at 2am to see if it was coming. I did not know she had passed. Although I didn’t know her, as an aspiring author and lover of romance, I am in tears. I felt as though I had bonded with this dream behind the books. What a wonderful woman, and amazing talent. She will be missed.