Ronald E. Estes, a longtime presence at the Marsh Creek Country Club

A celebration of life service will take place at the Marsh Creek Country Club on November 16, 2024 from 12:00 – 2:00pm. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery TBD.

Ronald Edward Estes, after a lifetime of eluding death, passed away peacefully with his loving family close by on Sunday, October 13, 2024. Born in Washington, DC, on June 28, 1931, to Edward and Edna Estes, he was raised on a 5-acre family compound built by his grandfather in 1906 in Arlington, Virginia. After contracting polio at age 13, Ron had to relearn to speak and swallow. However, by the time he reached high school, he was a baseball pitcher whose team won the Virginia State Championship and he was sought after by professional teams. In 1950, Ron and several of his buddies joined the Marine Corps. 

Arriving at Inchon, Korea, 1952, Ron served 11 months in Korea. Wounded in combat, he declined accepting a Purple Heart to save his parents the worrisome news. After completing his service with the Marines, Ron enrolled at Virginia Tech in 1954, where in the fall of his senior year, he was approached by a recruiter from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 

Upon graduating in 1957 with a Bachelor’s degree in sociology, Ron joined the CIA, where he was commissioned as an Operations Officer in the Clandestine Service. Upon completion of initial training, including language training, he received his first overseas assignment, to Kavalla, Greece, which became the setting for his first novel, published in 2003, The Mission: CIA in the Balkans. 

After 16 months in Kavalla, Ron was transferred to Athens, Greece, and later to Nicosia, Cyprus, as one of two fluent Greek-speaking operations officers in the station. After serving in Cyprus, Ron continued overseas assignments in Prague, (then) Czechoslovakia, and Beirut, Lebanon. In 1973, Ron was transferred back to Athens, to be Deputy Chief of Station with his colleague from Cyprus days, Richard Welch, as Chief of Station. The two friends took over the Athens Station as they had vowed to do 13 years earlier, but tragically Dick Welch was assassinated in 1975, the first-ever CIA Chief of Station to be killed in the line of duty.  It was a huge personal loss for Ron, who cradled Welch in his arms that night, and then assumed command of the Athens station.  His final overseas tour was as Chief of Station in Madrid, Spain. 

During his career Ron was a target for assassination on more than one occasion and was the cover feature in Spain’s version of TIME magazine, CAMBIO 16.  While stationed in Washington, DC, Ron was the deputy chief of the CIA European division and later chief of one of the Clandestine service divisions. His efforts over the years were so successful that he was awarded the highest honor the CIA can bestow, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. 

After his retirement from the CIA, Ron formed a company representing American companies overseas. He retired fully in 1990 and took up golf while living in Clifton, Virginia. Ron and his wife Luba moved to St. Augustine, Florida, in 1996. In retirement, Ron wrote a second novel, The Recruitment, based on operations in Beirut, and published columns nationwide to educate the American public on the plight of the Palestine people and the war crimes they endure to this day. He also co-chaired a forum on the Middle East with Senator George McGovern at Flagler College. For seven years, Ron was the longest serving President of the Marsh Creek Men’s Golf Association.

Ron was pre-deceased by his first wife and mother of his children, Ann Estes, sister Janet Yanette, and beloved son, Wesley Estes. He is survived by his wife Luba Estes, daughters Debra Eason (Jay Moore), and Valerie Ragan (John Ragan), stepdaughters Elena “Kiki” Tovey (Carl Tovey, decd), and Anne “Anita” Healy (Jonathan Healy), grandchildren Megan Arnold, Matthew Eason (Amanda LaBorde), Dylan Tovey, Timothy and Alexandra Healy, and great-grandchildren James and Anne Arnold. 

A celebration of life service will take place at the Marsh Creek Country Club in St. Augustine on November 16, 2024 from 12:00 – 2:00pm. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery TBD.