Ronald Ray Appling was born July 22, 1966 in Tulare, California to Raymond and Alcenia “Cenie” (Turner) Appling. He passed away on October 22, 2014 in Sand Point, Alaska doing what he loved – working on a car.
Ron attended grade school in Farmersville and Exeter, California. The family moved to Quincy, Washington in 1979, where he graduated from Quincy High School in 1985.
At the age of 16 or 17, Ron started working for Central Chevron in Quincy where he honed his skills as an auto mechanic. He worked at various auto shops around Grant County. He even did a few years as a long-haul truck driver, driving from coast to coast, until his health kept him from driving. At the time of his death, Ron was working at Trident Seafoods in Sand Point, Alaska as an equipment mechanic. One of his favorite stories about Alaska was when he was asked to work on the “Northwestern”, a crab fishing vessel. Ron was welding on the equipment when something around him started popping. Since Ron couldn’t swim, his first thought was that the boat was sinking. He dropped his tools, intending to ‘abandon ship’ when he discovered the ship’s captain, Sig Hansen, throwing fire crackers at him!
Ron is survived by his children Gabe of Rock Island, WA and Alissa of Spokane, WA. His parents, Ray and Cenie of Quincy, WA, his sister and brother-in-law, Karen and David Hand of Ephrata, WA, his brother and sister-in-law, Raymond and Robin Appling of Yakima, WA. He is also survived by his nieces, RaeShelle (Paul Treiber) Hand and RaeAnna Hand of Ephrata, Sierra and Shayla Appling, of Quincy, Stacy (Brian) Lyon of Puyallup, Rebecca (Kevin) Kurdziel of Quincy, Katie (Matt) Ward of Bonney Lake; nephews John-Paul and Alek Pease of Yakima and Bert Hand of Spokane; his girlfriend, Shelly and her two children, Gabe and Megan, also of Yakima, and numerous Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Friends from Alaska to Mexico.
Ron was preceded in death by his grandparents, Russell Turner, Garrett and Lucille Collins, Everett and Ovie Appling, Uncles Danny Turner and Robert Appling, Aunt Betty Berryhill; cousins, Chad Turner, Jamie Turner, Robert Appling, Jr., Charlene Appling, James Pack, Garrett Berryhill, Glenda Berryhill, and Brandilyn Curnutt.
Services for Ron will be Monday, November 3, 2014 at 11:00 am at Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel in Quincy, WA.
The family requests memorials in Ronald’s name be sent to the Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum P.O. Box 1003, Quincy, WA 98848. Please leave a memory for the family or sign their online guestbook at www.scharbachs.com.
Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel, Quincy, is assisting the family with arrangements.

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