Ronald Lee Woltz, age 81, of Stafford County, Virginia passed away on May 24, 2026 at his home following several medical issues.

After graduating from Shippensburg High School in 1962, Ron joined the United States Air Force and spent the next four years at the Cape Charles radar base learning his technical skills. Following his Air Force enlistment, he moved to the Washington, D.C. area and worked in the electronics section of AMF, Inc. In the 1970s he joined a start-up company, Railtronics – eventually renamed Pulse Electronics in Rockville, Maryland. There he was part of a team that developed the first “black box” for the railroad industry with the prototype now at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. Pulse Electronics became part of Westinghouse Air Brakes, the world’s largest railroad supplier, of Pittsburgh, PA in the middle 1990s. His division moved from Rockville, Maryland to Germantown, Maryland and Ron stayed there until his retirement in 2014.

He enjoyed his retirement where he could continue to have projects at home in Stafford such as building a 22-foot round gazebo only a few feet from the Potomac River, which is in our backyard like a beacon. Another task was taking care of our 3 acres which can be a full-time job.

Ron is survived by his wife, Vera Woltz whom he married in 1974. They got along very well because he had a saying “I stay out of her kitchen and she stays out of my garage” – it worked. He is also survived by their son Jeffrey and his wife Delphine Woltz and their three sons, Collin, Christian and Connor, also known as C1, C2 and C3 of Katy, Texas. His sister Kathy Swartz and husband Randy of Chambersburg, PA, his sister Sharon Hawley of Millville, CA, brother Roger Woltz and his wife Linda of Shippensburg, PA, and several nieces and nephews around the United States

Ron was one-of-a kind and friends and neighbors consulted with him when they had a project and couldn’t figure out “how do you put that together”. Ron had a way of figuring it out.

He will be greatly missed for his friendliness, helpfulness and just a plain good guy. The world should have more Ron’s around.

Ron was an animal lover and if you are so inclined, you can contribute to your local animal shelter or animal rescue. That would bring a smile to his face.

A viewing will be held on Monday, June 8, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. at Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc., Shippensburg. Ron’s graveside service will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. at Spring Hill Cemetery with Pastor Richard Reese officiating. Military honors will be conducted by The Minutemen of the American Legion Post #223.