Ronald Lee Witman

Ronald Lee Witman was born May 28, 1936, in York, PA, and he grew up in nearby Thomasville, PA. He was the son of the late Elmer D. and Pauline (Bowman) Witman. Ron is survived by his wife, Joan Danner Witman of Spring Grove, PA. They were married on December 22, 1956, and would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary later this year.

Ron graduated from Spring Grove High School, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and volleyball. After high school, he played catcher for several regional baseball teams in the Continental and Central Leagues, including Stoverstown. In 2015, his 1954 high school volleyball team was inducted into the Spring Grove Sports Hall of Fame. As a kid, he loved spending the summers working on his grandpa’s farm.

He graduated with a degree in pharmacy from the Philadelphia School of Pharmacy and Science in 1958. In 1964, Ron opened Witman’s Pharmacy on Center Square in Hanover, PA, which he owned and operated for 40 years until his retirement in 2004.

Ron loved to play golf (he was a lefty). He was a past president of the Hanover Country Club, and a member there for 50 years. He also loved the outdoors, was an avid hunter his whole life, and a founding member of the H-Y Rod and Gun Club. A passionate Bridge player, and a keen student of the game, Ron enjoyed playing at the White Rose Bridge Club in York, as well as socially with friends, and his lifetime Bridge partner, Joan. He was also a long-time member of the Arcadian Club, as well as the Hanover Area Historical Society.

More than anything, Ron loved being around people and especially spending time with his family and enjoyed many family trips to the beach and the mountains throughout his life. For decades, he closely followed and attended countless sporting events to see his children and grandchildren play, and he was a devoted fan of both the James Madison University and York College Women’s Basketball teams.

Ron is survived by his wife, Joan, and their three children, Elizabeth (Betsy) Witman and her wife, Kim, Thomas Witman and his wife Michele, and William Witman and his wife, Lisa. Ron is also survived by three grandchildren, Samantha (Witman) Luckenbaugh, Christopher Witman, and Issac Witman, three great-grandchildren, Aiden, Rhett, and Cecelia, his brother-in-law, John Danner, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jane (Witman) Welsh.

Ron and Joan have been members of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hanover, PA for over 60 years. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church on York Street in Hanover and please designate that any money be used for the church’s Grocery Ministry. Go to https://stpaulsyorkst.org/give.

A visitation with the family will be held at the Kenworthy Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 269 Frederick Street, Hanover, PA, from 4-6 pm on Sunday, November 3, 2024.  The funeral service will be held at noon on Monday, November 4, 2024, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 127 York Street, Hanover, PA. Following the service, please join us for the Celebration of Life at Highland Taps and Tables on Westminster Road in Hanover.   Burial will be scheduled at the convenience of the family.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.kenworthyfh.com

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