Ron PuFahl

When asked how he was doing, Ron's answer was always the same: “Better than Most.”  It wasn't just a phrase; it was how he lived. Throughout life, Ron chose humor, connection, optimism and gratitude.

Ron PuFahl – a deeply loved husband, dad, papa, brother, son-in-law, uncle, brother-in-law and friend to all who knew him – passed away Dec. 1, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born to William and Lina (Montreuil) PuFahl on Oct. 9, 1951, Ron lived a mischievous childhood in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He grew up in the big pink house across the street from the convent. There were so many things for kids to do in the ’50s and ’60s, and Ron tried them all, including many shenanigans with his brother and cousin. Ron attended St. Thomas Elementary and I.H.M. Catholic Academy, graduating in 1970. 

After working several years at the Coeur d'Alene Press, he was transferred to Moses Lake in 1975 to become Circulation Director for the Columbia Basin Herald. It was there that he met his best friend and partner for life, Phyllis, and they married in Coeur d'Alene on April 8, 1978. 

For more than 30 years, Ron supervised production, subscription sales and delivery of the newspaper by junior carriers and motor route drivers. He taught multiple generations of young entrepreneurs responsibility, work ethic, sales and how to run their own delivery business. 

Ron loved his family more than anything else. For over 40 years, spring and fall weekends would find him watching first his son and then his grandsons, play soccer. A perfect day meant putting meat on the smoker and having four generations together for dinner, cards and laughter. Watching his son learn to flip on the kneeboard, floating along in the boat fishing or just basking in the sun on the water was Ron's favorite way to relax. He especially loved quiet nights in the boat watching meteor showers.

Ron had the best sense of humor. A longtime member and past president of the Moses Lake Lions Club, he served many years as Tail Twister, going early to meetings to gather interesting tidbits about members, then sharing the most outlandish stories with the club. He was a terrific public speaker and loved entertaining an audience. Through the Lions Club, Ron and Phyllis welcomed three Japanese Taishin members into their home. Rika, Kiomi and Taisuke and many others in the exchange program became their extended Tokyo family.

After leaving the Herald, Ron and Phyllis spent 10 years on the road selling Yellow Page advertising. Working in Eastern Washington, from the Columbia River to the Canadian border during the week, they then returned home on the weekends for dinner at El Charro and to enjoy family, travel and tending the gardens he loved.

INDEED: If you knew Ron, you know he finished a lot of sentences with that word, which was sort of the compass he led his life with. He said Yes to almost everything. Yes to many travels to Mexico, Vegas, Hawaii and the Bahamas, Yes to cruises with Phyllis and adventures with his siblings. Yes to celebrating Family Christmas in July and the saga of the Salt Queen. Yes to many long camping trips to Yellowstone, the Olympic Peninsula, Utah's National Parks and the Yuma/Palm Springs area. He loved exploring. His favorite was grabbing his grandsons and driving up to Dry Falls for the day or over to the Gingko Petrified Forest to check out the fossils. Ron never passed by a museum without spending some time learning about what was inside. Whether it was the Tucson Rock Show and Gem Jam, discovering how much he loved New Orleans or checking out the East Coast with little Sis and her husband, travel was a big part of Ron's life. 

When Ron walked into a room, he said yes to making no one a stranger. He would talk to everyone in the room and ask them unlimited questions about themselves to find out everything he could about their life and family – he also never forgot anything or anyone. He said yes to any hobby or interest, from taking geology classes online at CWU to gardening, rock hounding, astronomy or fishing with Marv at Lake Lenore — “If you keep that one you're done fishing!” — he knew a lot about a lot. 

He worked hard and played harder.

Ron was the Most Curious Man. Our wide-open sky fascinated him, so he taught himself astronomy and spent countless nights trying to find elusive galaxies and nebulas. The sunsets in Moses Lake are spectacular, and Ron's photos of them are incredible. He also loved seeking out and photographing the Northern Lights. 

Tinkering around in his workshop, Ron was known for his ability to take apart and fix anything. His rock tumblers were usually humming along, and he learned to cut and polish stones for jewelry. Music was always playing and he enjoyed watching reaction videos of young people hearing classic rock for the first time. 

Some mornings he'd wake up and say, “Let's go find something new and exciting!” 

That might lead to a new plant for the garden or treasure hunting at a thrift store. He loved finding a creek bed to search for agates or discovering a new restaurant for an IPA and a meal to share.  His sense of adventure never dimmed! 

Ron lived with curiosity, generosity, humor and most of all Love. 

It truly was a life well lived – INDEED.

Ron is survived by his beloved wife of 47 years, Phyllis; his son, Jason Archer (Dani) and grandsons Brodee and Ledger; his sister, Williene Gagnon (John), brother Terry PuFahl (Sandy) and sister Felicia Meshew (Dean); Phyllis's parents, Marv and Nelda Stierlen; sister-in-law Patrice Lefebvre (Pierre) and brother-out-law Wayne Elston; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and so many friends. His two Siamese cats, Norman and Ollie, are also missing him every day.

Ron faced life, even the hardest times, the same way he answered every question about how he was doing — Better Than Most.

In keeping with Ron's wishes, there will be no funeral. A celebration of life will be held at a later date, where stories, laughter and memories will be shared – just as he wanted.