Ronald Thomas Miranda

Ronald T. Miranda of Fort Jones died on November 24, 2016 at the age of 70, on the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Ron was born in 1946 in Rockford, Illinois. The son of John DiBella and Connie Chipalla, he was raised by his mother and “father” Ben Miranda. Ron grew up in Ontario, California and graduated from Chaffey High School. In 1966, Ron was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Vietnam, where he worked in EOD (Explosive Ordinance Detail) as a munitions technician. Upon his discharge, he returned to work in the family construction business until 1975, when he joined the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. In 1977, he was hired by the California Highway Patrol, where he had a long and distinguished career. Ron worked in the Baldwin Park and Ontario/Rancho Cucamonga offices before transferring to the Yreka office in 1997. Over the years, Ron worked a lot of positions within the CHP and was an instructor at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department academy for eight years. Twice he was recognized as the Officer of the Year. Existing case law regarding the arrest of DUI suspects based on circumstantial evidence of driving, known as “in or about a motor vehicle” was created based on an arrest he made in 1985. In 1982, he met and fell in love with his soulmate, Jerelyn. They were married in 1998 at their home in Fort Jones. Ron and Jerelyn were inseparable; if you saw one of them, you’d most likely see the other. Together they were world travelers who never tired of seeing new places, meeting new people and embracing new cultures. They loved cruising and road trips. He was a gourmet chef that loved to cook and enjoyed feeding everyone. He loved his wife, his family, his friends and his country, but he especially loved being “Poppa.” Ron was a dedicated supporter of our 2nd Amendment Rights, a Benefactor member of the NRA and loved the shooting sports. For the past eight years, he was a committee member of the Siskiyou County Friends of NRA, acting as Chairman for the past three years, and leading the committee to its Highest Caliber status in its 20 year history. Ron is survived by his wife, Jerelyn; one son, Anthony Miranda of Carson City, Nevada; two stepsons, Tom Albers of Santa Monica, California and Mike Albers of Austin, Texas; an “adopted” daughter, Amy Spaulding of Lake Forest, California; four grandsons, U.S. Airman Tristin Albers, Brandon Miranda, Dakota Miranda and Zachary Miranda, and a granddaughter, AnnaBella Albers. He is also survived by his sister, Barbara Chamberlain, and a brother, Ben Miranda. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 2:00 PM at the Miners Inn Convention Center in Yreka.

Ronald Thomas Miranda

August 22, 1946 - November 24, 2016