Aug. 06--Ron Kinnamon was known as a positive, upbeat and creative leader during 38 years as an executive with the YMCA.
"His passion and enthusiasm for the YMCA and for life in general was contagious," said Mary Zoller, who was national events and program training coordinator under Kinnamon. "He inspired a generation of YMCA program professionals. I was lucky enough to be one of them."
Kinnamon, 78, died July 30 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after a short illness, according to his wife, Sally. He lived for the last six years on Chicago's Gold Coast.
He was born and grew up in Dallas and attended Southern Methodist University there, earning an undergraduate degree. He went on to get a master's degree in group work administration from what was then George Williams College, then in Chicago and now part of Aurora University.
He began his career with the YMCA early, his wife said.
"He went to the Y as a young boy, and people made him feel he was valuable," she said. "He went to work there before high school and just kept going."
Kinnamon worked at YMCAs in Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and San Francisco before coming to Chicago, where he finished his career with the YMCA of the USA as assistant national executive before retiring in 1998.
Along the way he made many contributions to Y programs.
"Ron started out as a program and camp director," said retired Y executive Steven Erickson, who worked with Kinnamon in California and came to Chicago with him. "I think that's where he honed his skills and ability to instill confidence in kids and others. He had a way to engage and involve everyone."
Jerry Haralson, who first worked with Kinnamon in Texas, called him "the ultimate program director."
Haralson said for Kinnamon that meant always focusing on the people participating in Y programs. "The Y I grew up in," Haralson said, "was about having an impact on kids and families."
One of Kinnamon's most significant contributions was incorporating the four character development values of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility in all YMCA programs, according to Zoller. He was also an early proponent of older adult programs in the YMCA for aging baby boomers.
"He was also concerned with childhood obesity and youth fitness long before it was a common concern," she said.
In retirement, Kinnamon continued his commitment to young people.
"He decided to give the rest of his life to working with agencies working for the welfare of children," his wife said.
He was on the boards of organizations including America's Promise Alliance; Points of Light; Josephson Institute of Ethics, where he chaired the Character Counts entity; and Aurora University, she said.
"He understood people and organizations," said Jack Semones, who was with the Y and was Kinnamon's supervisor beginning when he was in junior high school. "Anybody who ever knew him would want him on their team."
Kinnamon is also survived by sons Scott, Randall and Jeffrey; sisters Marsha Reed and Judith Patterson; and six grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Aug. 15 in St. Pauls United Church of Christ, 2335 N. Orchard St., Chicago.
Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter.
