Ronald Steven Sechler

Obituary Ronald Steven Sechler of Beaufort passed away peacefully at the Crystal Coast Hospice House on Friday, December 16, 2022, following a decade-long battle with Alzheimers disease. He was 75. "Ron," the son of Raymond and Helen Sechler, and brother of Timothy ("Tim"), was born and raised in Concord, North Carolina, where he attended McGill Street Baptist Church. He graduated in 1965 from Harrisburg High School in Cabarrus County, NC, where he was a member of the schools first football team. He later earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from UNC Charlotte. After college, Ron taught third grade at Odell Elementary in Cabarrus County, before moving to Morehead City, NC to teach biology at West Carteret High School. While a teacher, he worked summers at the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory on Pivers Island. Ron was ultimately offered a permanent federal position in 1975 where he would work for 38 years until retiring in 2012. Ron served as a federal habitat biologist with NOAAs National Marine Fisheries Services Southeast Regional Office. He participated in research, reviewed permits, and provided scientific and technical advice to coastal managers and industries of the southeast region. Rons primary role was to ensure that sensitive habitats such as coral reefs, sea grass, and wetlands were protected and conserved. Ron was a hard worker, known for his fairness and gentlemanly demeanor. Ron always kept a steady pace in what were sometimes highly controversial situations. Ron was revered among his colleagues who say his insights were novel, and his stories more than amusing. It was while working with the National Marine Fisheries Service that he met and fell in love with his wife, Sharon Kay Sechler, ne Willis, and her young son, Jeffrey Dickinson, of Beaufort, NC. Ron and Sharon were married in 1980, and in the spring of 1984, they welcomed Jeffreys little sister, Lauren, to the family. Ron was a loving and giving husband and father who tirelessly attended to every need of his wife, daughter, and stepson for as long as he could. Ron will be remembered as an enthusiastic coach, a gifted teacher, a careful scientist, an ardent environmentalist, an avid hunter and fisherman, a skilled martial artist, and a Bruce Lee enthusiast. Ron also loved sports cars, Labor Day dove hunts, cobia fishing with Lauren, jogging on his lunch break, competing in the Beaufort Road Race, playing and coaching soccer, and watching the World Cup. Rons smile made his eyes disappear. He loved his family, he enjoyed life, and his positive attitude and his laugh were contagious. Those who knew him best say they never saw him angry, and never heard him utter an unkind word. Diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimers Disease in 2011, Ron maintained his positive outlook and good attitude as he made the most of what he knew would be an abbreviated life. He continued to exercise, hunt, fish, and enjoy life with his family until he moved to "The ARC" ("Alzheimers Related Care") in Jacksonville, North Carolina in 2019. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Helen Sechler, and his beloved stepson, Jeffrey Dickinson. He is survived by his wife Sharon Sechler of Beaufort, NC; brother Timothy and wife Sandra of Charlotte, NC; daughter Lauren Hancock and husband, Joel, of Smyrna, NC; four grandsons, Calvin, Oliver, Levi, and Evan Hancock; Step-grandson Jacob Dickinson, of Atlantic Beach, NC; Step-granddaughter Taylor Dickinson Williams and husband, Christian, of Raleigh, NC; step-great-grandchildren Acea and Isla Williams; and nephews Alec and Ian Sechler. The family expresses their sincerest gratitude to folks at The ARC in Jacksonville, NC for the care Ron received in his final years, as well as the providers at the Crystal Coast Hospice House for their kindness and warmth while Ron was in their care. The family will have a private ceremony in Rons memory. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family will appreciate words of sympathy and your stories and memories of Ron. Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences to the family at www.noefs.net Arrangements by Noe Funeral Service, Inc. of Beaufort, NC. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Ronald Steven Sechler