In Memory of Ron Thrower
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It is with great sadness that we must share the passing of Ron Thrower, good friend, dedicated student, and wise mentor. Ron was a longtime student of taijiquan at the Magic Tortoise School having studied Chen Style with Dr. Jay and Wudangshan 108 style and tuishou with LaoMa. Ron was always generous with his knowledge and skill, mentoring many of us from newbie status to seasoned senior student. He often assisted with teaching form for many years at the Raleigh Tuesday class, and whenever one was paired up with him in tuishou class one could expect to have a good opportunity to learn. Outside of class, Ron participated in weekly taiji meetups on Sundays at the Raleigh Rose Garden and regularly attended Push Hands events around the RTP area.
Ron owned Reef And Ridge Sports, a diving shop on Hillsborough Street across from the fairgrounds. He was always glad to give a parking space to LaoMa and to friends when the NC State Fair was in town. He also taught me to use a divers ballast bag to train for Master Joe's dantian challenge. He generously sold me a ballast bag at cost at a time when competition in the business was getting tough. Ron's knowledge and practical experience with breath work was encyclopedic, owing to his long experience in both diving as well as in taiji and qigong.
Ron's absence will be keenly felt by those who were close to him, and he leaves a lasting impression on all who knew him.
-Garry (JiRui) Williams
As a young whipper snapper in push hands classes, I affectionately called Ron “Ron that Shan (山)” . He was on of my first experiences with a gentle, immovable taiji player. We shared many laughs over my inability to begin to figure out how to move his center. Through his calm and patience, I was able to learn so much - both about accepting loss and laughing through the learning process.
Ron was a long time student of LaoMa’s and the Magic Tortoise Taijiquan family. He taught me form and was a steady presence in the lives of LaoMa’s junior students. Despite his years, his attitude was never one of superiority. He served as an example that, no matter how long we have studied this art form, we are all learning and sharing that journey.
We will miss his example and patience. And we thank him for his contributions to our learning - something that we will carry forward with us in our taiji journey.
-Violet Anderson
Please find Ron’s Obituary here: https://rfhr.com/obituaries/ronald-adrian-thrower/