Early Nov. 20, about 3am, Ron Faust died peacefully, with his wife, Toni, by his side. Happy homecoming, Ron!
Ron and Toni, members of the Disciples of Christ, together experienced a church not welcoming his pastoral advice in opposition to the Vietnam War. They found another church for Ron to pastor, a bit more accepting of their views.
Ron coupled pastoring with boating, and held shoreside services at the Lake of the Ozarks, where he was a minister early on. Later, they lived in or near Smithville, doing their boating at Smithville Lake. Ron led the Disciples Peace Fellowship for years, with many ministers joining it and spreading peace announcements and challenges.
About 2011, Ron served as minister for the wedding of daughter Tuesday and Brian. The very next morning, Ron showed up by surprise out at the land bought through the sale of KC MO municipal bonds for the new site out south for the KC Plant. That facility, making parts for US nuclear weapons, had a history of deadly contaminants, and all the agencies at Bannister Federal Complex were moving, including the IRS. The new facility would change its name to the National Security Campus (NSC), 14510 Botts Road, KC MO, south of Grandview, facing Mo. Hwy. 150.
Some 42 persons, on the morning after Tuesday’s wedding, walked onto the property to protest the nuke-making. Henry Stoever recently commented, “Perhaps led by God, Ron parked his car on Mo. Hwy. 150, put his keys in his pocket, and became the 43rd resister–soon jailed.” After the police and guards shuffled the protesters to jail for processing, one said, “That car will be towed away unless it’s removed in the near future.”
One of us support persons called Toni, she undoubtedly had son Jeremy drive her out to Mo. Hwy. 150, and she was glad to use her key to take the car home. Good work, Toni! Ron had not known about parking elsewhere or about having a support person to handle loose threads. He’d had a wedding to attend to!
Eventually, Henry started an annual Memorial Day walk from the KC Plant to the new property, a walk of 9-10 miles. Ron and Toni both participated. In the early years, perhaps 2012, we did not have many walkers, and some of us drove cars so people could walk/ride. We were on Holmes, pausing in a church parking lot for snacks in the rain, and soon we had thunder and lightning. Henry announced we couldn’t walk with the lightning. We were dismayed!
So we decided to drive to the already-posted NSC sign on the long road to the NSC parking lots to take care of the final part of our annual walk: Ron’s reading of a peace poem. Of course! He wrote poems for our events, including sometimes our PeaceWorks Annual Meetings and our Hiroshima/Nagasaki remembrances. Ron collected his poems into books and got publicity help from his friend Charles Carney.
About 1 1/2 years ago, Ron had a stroke. Bad news. Hospitalization, then rehab, then struggles to recover. But Ron dubbed it his “stroke of luck,” insisting he was better off then than dead. Toni laughed at his continued play with words. He slowed down the doctors and nurses a bit on their busy rounds. Recently, it became clear Ron was slipping. Not eating well. Pneumonia. Seemed ready for death. Jeremy had kept in constant touch, being the hometown guy. Tuesday had visited last Friday to Monday, making one of her regular trips from the Taos, NM, area. Then on Thursday, way early, Ron slipped off to heaven.
Jeremy told Henry Nov. 21 that his dad was “a philosopher, a poet,” and Henry added, “He was also an activist. He was arrested for peace several times!” We shared protest time, short jail times, and way later, court times.
Here’s a poem in praise.
A Poet, a Prophet
A poet, a prophet, a blue-beret boy
A laugher, a teaser, a clown.
You hurried to heaven before our good-byes.
Turned 82. Then left our town.
Are you risen now?
Is your star shining bright?
Is your God as faithful as you?
Are your hopes come true?
We love you!
You graced our days here.
We miss you!
2 Responses
Excellent work of love for our deceased friend Ron Faust, who contributed in to so many ways to our peace movement – as philosopher, as poet, as prophet, as activist!!! May the Angels reach out to greet you to your heavenly home. We Salute You, Ron.
So sorry to learn of Ron’s passing. I had just began to feel that I knew him in a more personal way. I had certainly enjoyed the many conversations that I have shared with him. I will remember his thoughtful serenity and his commitment to peace on earth.