On February 3, 2023, Dr. Ronald M. Enroth entered Heaven, surrounded at home in Hawai’i by his loving family. Born October 28, 1938, in New Jersey, Ronald graduated from Houghton College in New York before attending the University of Kentucky, Lexington earning his M.A. in Anthropology and his Ph.D. in the new field of Medical Sociology. The love of his life was Ruth-Anne whom he married in June of 1960 and is the mother of his beloved daughters, Kara Bettencourt (Jerome) and Rebecca Coons (Kevin) who deeply miss his laughter, gentle kindness, and loving heart. He was blessed with two grandchildren, Nicolas Coons (Debra) and Taylor Coons (Kent) who were a constant source of love and joy for him. He welcomed and loved his great-grandsons; Isaac, Elliot, and Atlas Coons. Ronald was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Ebba Enroth and his brother Harold Enroth (Evelyn).
Ronald moved his family to Santa Barbara, California in 1965 where he joined the faculty of Westmont College as a professor of Sociology and Anthropology for forty-seven years before retiring to join his family in Volcano, Hawai’i. A respected scholar in the field of Sociology of Religion, Ronald authored and coauthored many books on the subject of New Religious Movements and was a popular speaker throughout the United States. During his tenure at Westmont College, he was a beloved teacher and mentor to generations of students and was a co-founder of Westmont’s Urban Program in San Francisco. Ronald was proud of his Swedish heritage and being a part of the Scandinavian community. Ronald was a faithful member of Grace Church of Santa Barbara, and later, El Montecito Presbyterian Church. His was a life of deep faith in Christ that supported him in his final illness, and his dedication to the service of others is an inspiration to all who loved him.
