Ivins, Utah - Ron made his final flight West as he "Slipped the surly bonds of earth, reached out and touched the face of GOD," on May 6, 2021. He was born in Murphysboro, IL December 16, 1933 to George R. Hagler and Nadeen Ward. Ron attended Murphysboro Township High School and married his high school sweetheart and soul mate, Delores Pope. He is survived by his wife of almost 69 years, Delores Pope Hagler; daughter, Rhonda Hagler of Ivins, UT; son, Dan Pope Hagler, of Goffstown, NH; granddaughters: Robyn Hagler Seymour, Grace Hagler and Katie Hagler Dorow; great-grandsons: Rhett and Ashton Seymour; brothers: Dan Hagler, Luke Hagler, and Mark Hagler; and sisters: Georgia Herring, Karen Braswell and Mary Hagler. Ron was preceded in death by his son, Ronald Brad Hagler.

Ron was a man of many talents. He played Professional Baseball for the Pittsburg Pirate Organization. He pitched for the Denver Bears, the Visalia Stars, Phoenix Senators, El Paso Texans and Hannibal Pepsi's. He pitched for the Chesterfield Smokers in Panama and against the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series in Havana Cuba in 1953.

Ron earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University, his MBA from The George Washington University and his Doctorate from University of Southern California.

Ron was a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel. As a command pilot he flew over 4,000 flight hours and flew 126 combat missions in Viet Nam in the EB-66. Among his many decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals. He served with the Foreign Technology Division. He also served as Chief of Protocol for Pacific Air Forces at Hickam AFB before his assignment as Commander of the AFROTC Detachment at UCLA. Ron was a member of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, the 98 ^th Bomb Wing Association and the B-66 Destroyer Association.

As a Professor at California Lutheran University, Ron became the Director of the MBA Program and professor in the School of Business at CLU. In addition, he provided consulting services for business owners. He worked for Deloitte & Touche as their Southern California Area Controller, as a Legal Administrator for the law firms of Lagerloff, Senecal, Bradley & Swift and Morris, Polish & Purdy. He was a principle in Business Brokers of America. A former Ventura County Civil Service Commissioner, Dr. Hagler taught courses in Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management, Organizational Theory & Development, Organizational Behavior, and Consulting to Business. Additionally, Ron was on the Board of Directors for the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Westlake Village and holder of multiple Paul Harris Fellows. He was the founding President of Westlake High School's Baseball Boosters. Ron also served as Assistant Scout Master for the Boy Scouts of America in Kettering, OH and more recently as the President of the Citadel Owners' Association. Ron was a member of St Jude's Catholic Church in Westlake Village, CA and St George's Catholic Church in St George, UT.

Ron retired from California Lutheran University; he and his wife, Dee, moved to Ivins, UT after his retirement. They were avid golfers and fell in love with the area and his neighbors. He was a familiar sight in the neighborhood walking his beloved, large, white Samoyed," Koa" on Painted Hills Drive.

The family wishes to thank the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins & Dixie Hospice - they delivered beyond our expectations.

Per Ron's wishes, in lieu of services and flowers, please donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=10043&ovr_acv_id=5246 .