Ronald Lilja

A Celebration of Life for Ronald Lilja, 73, of Norfolk, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 31, 2024, at the Norfolk VFW, 316 Braasch Avenue. Reverend Gordon Braun will officiate, with military honors by Army National Guard Honor Guard, American Legion Post 16, and VFW Post 1644. 

Visitation with family will be from 10-11, followed by a service and lunch after.

Ronald died Thursday, August 15, 2024, at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.

Ronald Lilja, son of Rodney and Ruth (Wobig) Lilja, was born October 18, 1950, at Newman Grove, Nebraska. He graduated from Newman Grove High School in 1969 and received an associate’s degree from Norfolk Junior College in Norfolk, Nebraska in electronics. He later served his country in the United States Army.

On November 15, 1975, Ronald was united in marriage to Barbara Sovereign at First United Methodist Church in Norfolk. They were blessed with two daughters, Stephanie and Lisa. Ron worked as an electrician at Model Electric before attaining a role in Norfolk Public Schools as a supervisor of maintenance, retiring in 2019. Ronald was famous in his family for being the “fix it man”. He was a tool aficionado and had a huge collection that was very well organized, even sharing his love of tools by outfitting his children and their spouses with every tool imaginable. He valued hard work and loved to be outside. He was the epitome of a family man. He took good care of everyone, regularly updating his family on weather and traffic conditions during their travels. Ron was devoted to his grandchildren and would do anything for them. He also had an insatiable appetite for food, especially burgers, fries, pizza, and malts.

Ronald is survived by his wife, Barbara Lilja; daughters, Stephanie (James) Zechmann and Lisa (Matt) Schmidt; four grandchildren, Ryann, Grace, and Ben Zechmann, and Grayson Schmidt; siblings, Kirk (Deanna) Lilja and Brent Lilja, in-laws, Shirley (Wally) Fox, Jan (Bob) McKeown, Dave (Kathie) Sovereign, Mike (Karen) Sovereign, Steve Sovereign, and Dale (Sue) Sovereign; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; granddaughter, Blake; brother, Craig Lilja; sister, Jan Benson; and in-laws, Tammy Sovereign, Dick Sovereign, and Lyle Sovereign.

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