1941-2025
Ronald (Ron) Lee Lang, 84, passed away on Dec. 25, 2025, having lived a life defined by friendship, ingenuity and the mindset that every day is Saturday.
Born on April 11, 1941, in Des Moines to Oran and Mary Lang, Ron attended North High School and Parsons College, where he was a proud member of the TKE fraternity. Ron never met a stranger and maintained lifelong friendships, including decades of monthly lunches with his North High classmates, yearly college reunions and his morning coffee club in Panora.
Ron spent most of his life in Iowa. He grew up in Des Moines, served a brief stint in the U.S. Army and moved to St. Louis for work, where he met Rita. They married in 1969 and returned to Des Moines where they welcomed a daughter, Jessica. In 1988, Ron built his home at Lake Panorama, divorced, and fully embraced lake life as a bachelor.
A self-made businessman, Ron viewed his work as a salesman as a way to make money — and friends. He bartered, traded, negotiated and wheeled and dealed his way through life, somehow always coming out the other side with a little money in his pocket and a few new friends. His final venture was creating the Des Moines Apartment and Condominium Guide. Though he officially retired in 1998, Ron never stopped dreaming up new projects.
Ron loved having fun — golfing, fishing, boating, gardening, building and tinkering filled his days. He could fix nearly anything with duct tape and ingenuity and firmly believed that “the one with the most toys wins.” Ron had a real knack for turning his ideas into reality. One of his proudest feats was finding a way around Lake Panorama’s “boat size” rule. The regulations limited length, not width — so Ron bought two used pontoon boats, took them apart, and rebuilt a double-wide party boat. It became legendary.
Ron’s home was always open and time spent with him was an adventure. Boats broke down, things caught on fire, and the best stories came when plans changed. Ron taught those around him to be adaptable and never sweat the small stuff. His greatest lesson lives on in not taking life too seriously.
Ron is survived by his daughter, Jessica (Nick) Gerhart; his four grandchildren, Marlowe, Corinne, Wyatt and Grant; his brother, Ed (Linda); and his sister, Sandy. A private mass and burial will be held at a later date. Photos, stories and memories may be shared with his family at langslagoon@aol.com.
In Ron’s memory, smile at strangers. Strike up conversations. Tell a few tall tales and make sure to enjoy the adventure — after all, every day is Saturday in heaven!