LTC. Ronald Walter Filak, US Army, Retired Obituary (1943 - 2025)

LTC Ronald Walter Filak, U. S. Army (Ret.), of Callawassie Island, SC, died at home on January 19, surrounded by family. He was 81 years old. Mr. Filak was born on October 13, 1943 in Evergreen Park, IL, to the late Walter Joseph Filak and Nettie Theresa Mikosz. He earned a BA from the University of Chicago and, later, a Masters in Public Administration. He went on to a distinguished 22-year career in the Field Artillery of the U. S. Army. He served in Vietnam, where he was awarded the bronze star. His career took him around the world, with postings in Germany, Korea, Oklahoma, and as the head of ROTC at the University of Massachusetts, where he met his wife of 41 years, Mary Goodwin Rodgers. He retired from the Army at Fort Monroe, Virginia in 1989. After that, he went on to a career as a project manager in the private sector until his retirement in 2007, at which point he dedicated himself to his ultimate pursuit: golf. He became the President of the Men’s Golf Association on Callawassie Island, as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the island’s club. Ron was filled with joie de vivre, reveling in well-told jokes and things that were pleasantly unexpected (or, as he put it, “neat”). The joy he got from exploring the world through books and travel was almost enough to offset the emotional toll of being a lifelong Chicago sports fan. The wry sense of humor that buoyed him through life held to the very end, when he mused that, if he was at the end of his life, he at least wouldn’t have to stress about the Bears’ abysmal performance this season. Even at 80 years old and 6’5”, Ron never lost touch with his inner child. He loved nothing more than lowering himself to the floor and playing with his grandchildren, making silly noises or letting them bounce on his stomach. Family meant more to him than any work; he adored his wife, and was endlessly proud of his children and grandchildren, and all their accomplishments. Ron is survived by his wife, Mary; his son, Gregory Hull Filak; his daughter, Meredith Filak Rose; his step-son, Peter Goodwin Rodgers; his siblings, Kenneth Filak and Karen Ehrhorn; and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, or the American Liver Foundation.