Ronald Pesch, 82, of Gary, MN, passed away Thursday, July 9, 2026 at Altru Hospital of Grand Forks.

Ronald James Pesch was born July 27, 1943 in Grand Forks, ND one of eleven children of Adolph and Adele (Morin) Pesch. He grew up in East Grand Forks and attended Sacred Heart Catholic School. Following that he served in the US Navy. On Sept 26, 1964 he married the love of his life, Kathleen Mason, in Vallejo, CA. They made their home in East Grand Forks and were blessed with five children. Following his Navy service Ron worked as a delivery driver for McKinnon and Co. before joining the Burlington Northern Railroad as a brakeman. After retiring from there Ron, along with Kate, owned and operated a food truck, KP Duty. In his spare time, Ron could usually be found on a golf course or in a kitchen. His greatest passion was cooking, especially for large groups of people. No family gathering was complete without his famous Macaroni Salad and Barbecued Gizzards, and he would be offended if you only had two helpings!! To his kids he was their phone-a-chef. His knowledge of everything was truly amazing. He was an avid reader of history, people, animals, and the world in general. If you had a question about a certain event, person or place, he could answer you and have a story to tell about it. Anyone who knew him would definitely agree with this!

Ron is survived by his loving wife Kate of Gary, MN; children Michele (Tom) Aubol of Grand Forks, Chris (Shannon) Pesch of Spokane, WA, Jeff (Meghan) Pesch of Moorhead, MN, McArthur (Casey) Pesch of Grand Forks, and Lynne (Sam) Silverman of St. Paul, MN; siblings Sharon Tinkler of Grand Forks, Rick Pesch of East Grand Forks, Mike (Kelly) Pesch of Mahnomen and Dale (Sheryl) Pesch of East Grand Forks; 13 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents Adolph and Adele Pesch and six siblings, Billy, John, Kenny, Larry, Tim and Gelene.

Ron's family would like to convey their deepest appreciation for the acts of love and kindness given to them. Your expressions of sympathy will always be remembered.

GRAVESIDE / MILITARY HONORS: 10:30AM, Friday July 17, 2026 @ Resurrection Cemetery, East Grand Forks, MN

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: 5:00PM, Friday July 17, 2026 @ The Eagle's Club, East Grand Forks, MN