Ronald John Scrudato, 79, of Cape Coral, Fla, passed away on Thursday, February 20, 2020, at the Ortega Gardens Memory Care Home in Jacksonville, Fla.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 27, at the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Nutley, NJ.
Immediately following the services, the family welcomes all to Lassoni’s Restaurant on 602 Ridge Road in North Arlington, NJ, for a reception to honor and celebrate Ron’s life.
Ron was born in Passaic, NJ, to Paul J. Scrudato and Pauline (Orlando) Scrudato on September 13, 1940.
He attended Nutley High School (where he was later honored as a 2005 Hall of Fame inductee) and went on to attend Clemson University on a football scholarship.
After a proud career as a fullback for the Tigers, Ron finished his senior year as the leading scorer in the ACC and was voted MVP by his teammates.
He graduated in 1962 and then earned his master’s from Tulane University and his Ph. D from UNC Chapel Hill – both in geology, which continued to inspire him throughout his life.
Ron was predeceased by his beloved parents, Paul and Pauline; his brother, Paul; and his former wife of over 25 years, Judith Rooney.
He is survived by his two children and their spouses: daughter Sheila and her husband Kevin, son Kurt and his wife Tami.
Ron leaves his grandchildren: Evan and his wife Harriet, Carly, Derek, Devin and Corin.
He is also survived by his sister, June (Abene) and her extended family; his sister, Paula (Ostow), her husband Mike, and their extended family; and his brother, Steven and his extended family.
He leaves behind his former wife, Jackie Frost and her daughter, Michaela.
Beyond his studies, Ron spent much of his life in academia.
He was a professor for many years focusing on research and environmental issues.
He worked at two universities in Texas and then spent the bulk of his career at SUNY Oswego, where he founded their environmental research center.
One of his proudest accomplishments was developing practical techniques to degrade contaminants in groundwater and soils.
After he semi-retired, he continued to consult all over the world in Jordan, Chile, Brazil, Uganda, Uruguay, China and in countless domestic locations.
He held a special place in his heart for the indigenous people he worked with in remote Alaskan communities, where he focused on how to assist them in protecting their natural resources.
He loved to play racquetball, to fly fish, to make jewelry from natural elements, to travel, to drink red wine and to be anywhere on or near the water.
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