Ramona McCollister

Published 1:47 pm Monday, November 18, 2024

Ramona McCollister

Sept. 2, 1935–Oct. 24, 2024

Ramona Ann (Lloyd) McCollister, 89, of Ironton, passed away peacefully Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, at her residence.

Ramona was born Sept. 2, 1935, in Wayne County, West Virginia, daughter to the late Burgess and Anna (Smith) Lloyd.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Gerald Robert McCollister, on Sept. 30, 2019. They married April 1, 1955.

She was preceded in death by five younger brothers, Burgess Jr., Birt, Ronnie, Larry and Kenny, whom she helped raise upon her mother’s death when Ramona was only 14.

Ramona was a graduate of Ceredo Kenova High School and, after having five children, attended Marshall University, earning a Bachelors degree in Art Education.

She went on to earn her Masters degree in Painting and Print Making.

She retired in 1997 from the Rock Hill School District after 24 years as the High School Art Teacher.

She earned the Ashland Oil Teacher Achievement Award in 1992 and in 1991 was named a Jennings Scholar.

Ramona was known affectionately as “Mom” to her students. She was well loved by the faculty and students, for whom she held high standards. Several went on to study or teach art; all left with an appreciation for capturing the beauty they saw in the world around them. Her own beautiful artwork survives her.

The consistent thread in Ramona’s life was her love for her Savior, Jesus. Her well-worn Bible was never far from her side. She was devoted to prayer and if you knew her, she had prayed for you.

She was a member of First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School, served on the Board of Christian Education and led numerous Bible studies.

Those left to cherish her memory and carry on her legacy are her two sons, Robert “Bob” (Faye) McCollister, of Ironton, and Brian (Jenny) McCollister, of Worthington; three daughters, Monica (Robert) Chapman, of Cincinnati; Melanie (Harry) Li, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Anna McCollister, of Washington, D.C. She is also well loved by her 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Calling hours will be from 10 a.m.–noon Tuesday with memorial service following at noon at First Baptist Church, 304 S. Fifth St., Ironton, with Pastor Eric Barnes officiating. Burial will follow at Woodland Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to one of Mom’s favorite charities, Operation Christmas Child. Every year she enjoyed sending shoeboxes full of gifts to children in need around the world. Your gift will go to the local efforts of First Baptist to send hundreds of shoeboxes from our community to the world. Go to https://www.fbcironton.org/giving/ and after choosing the amount you want to donate click the drop down that says, “In memory of Ramona McCollister.”