Rodney “Rod” Wrone, 75, of Laurel Park, North Carolina, an avid golf lover, reported for his eternal tee time on the morning of Saturday, January 8, 2022.
Rodney was born in Carlyle, Illinois on December 31, 1946, the son of Merlin Wrone and Nelda (Kleber) Wrone. One of his greatest joys was being able to share his birthday with his granddaughter, Tinley Kate Patton, born on December 31, 2012.
Growing up in Carlyle, Rodney enjoyed spending time fishing, camping, and water skiing at Carlyle Lake and engaging in other forms of childhood mischief. After graduating from Carlyle High School in 1965 and receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Murray State University, he served in the United States Air Force. Rodney was dedicated to his professional career and held positions in management, business development, and mergers and acquisitions with companies in the oil, natural gas, and propane industries. He was always deeply committed to his family and others that he loved and cared about throughout his life. His gregarious personality provided plenty of stories and quick-witted comments that drew laughter or additional banter and he was known to strike up conversations with just about anyone. Rodney loved taking long car rides to soak in the beautiful scenery in places that he lived and visited, from snow-covered Michigan to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. His passion for sports led him to attend numerous major sporting events and he invariably brought back some form of memorabilia. Rodney cherished his time with family and friends on the golf course and he played courses from coast to coast. A highlight to his love for golf was attending The Masters at Augusta National in 2011.
Rodney is survived by his wife, Marlyn Wrone, and their dog Chloe; son Jason Wrone and daughter Jennifer Patton (Nick) both of Effingham, IL and their mother, Mariann Wrone of Centralia, IL; Marlyn’s daughter Tiffany Ziegler (Dave) of Brook Park, OH; grandchildren Tinley Kate Patton of Effingham, IL, and Gage and Garrett Ziegler, of Brook Park, OH. Also surviving are uncle Karl Wrone of Keyesport, IL; aunt Elaine Wrone of Greenville, IL; and cousins Kenny Wrone (Marty) of Keyesport, IL, Karla Giles (Bruce) of St. Louis, MO, Shelby Mann, and Gerald (Suzanne) Ammann of Pocahontas, IL, Nick Mahlandt (Linda) of Collinsville, IL and Nancy Kapler of St. Charles, MO.
He was preceded in death by his parents; infant twin brother Ronald Wrone; grandparents Harry and Elta Wrone, and Joseph and Blanche Kleber; uncles Harry Wrone, Darrel Ammann, and Laverne “Sparky” Mahlandt; aunts Geraldine Ammann, Nancy Wrone, and Virginia Mahlandt; cousin Paul Wrone, and Dan Kapler, husband of cousin Nancy Kapler.
The Wrone family would like to give special thanks to the amazing staff at Pacifica Heritage Hills Memory Care Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina where Rodney spent the last two years of his life, and to the team at Four Seasons Hospice that provided comforting care in his final days.
Funeral Services for Rodney Eugene Wrone will be held Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. at Zieren Funeral Home, 1111 Clinton Street in Carlyle, Illinois. Burial will follow at Carlyle Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to the time of service on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer’s Association, an organization of your choice or go play a round of golf with a loved one. Condolence cards and memorial donations will be received through Zieren Funeral Home, PO Box 276, Carlyle, Illinois 62231. Online expressions of sympathy may be made to the family by visiting www.zierenfuneralhome.com.
