He and Lynne began dating and were engaged within weeks.Įrika Bernard of Colesville taught English in the schools, too, and got to be good friends with Lynne and Ron. Soon Ron and Al - and Lynne - were fellow teachers in Greater Binghamton. "His college and fraternity roommate was Fitzroy Stewart, who became the vocal music teacher at Maine-Endwell High School, where our sons also went to school," Lynne said. Kathleen's parents gave him his first vehicle, a 1952 Chevy, likely so he could bring himself back and forth to college.
"I remember speaking with him on various trips to the store, usually about the music business, but also about Ithaca College."Īfter graduating from JCHS, Ron pursued his undergraduate degree, then a master's degree in music education at Ithaca College. "He was working part time for the Godfrey & Son Music business," Al said. Musician Al Hamme of Vestal remembers those days, too.Īl met Ron in 1961 when Al moved to the area to teach in the Union-Endicott school district after completing his undergraduate studies at Ithaca College. Ron's main joy was clarinet, but he loved playing the baritone saxophone for 18 years with the Mason Warrington orchestra, Don added.
"In fact he had purchased every musical instrument that he played for many years from us." "Ron would come in as a teenager and purchase musical items from us," said Don, who lives in Binghamton. Musician Don Godfrey remembers Ron coming into his and his father's store, Godfrey & Son Music, back in the day. Kathleen and her sister Barbara Tagert, who now lives in Ocala, Fla., would go to local parades to cheer for Ron as he marched along in the school band. That's the year he also began to play music professionally - although he didn't see much of a connection between those two occurrences. He referred to it initially as his "skunk stripe," Lynne said. His hair began to turn gray when he was 14 years old, beginning in the center of his head and spreading out. He also enjoyed his mom's Slovak foods such as halupky, nut rolls, and kolachky, said Ron's cousin, Kathleen Frickel of Elmira.īorn and raised in Johnson City, Ron, an only child, lived first with his parents at his grandparents' home on Rutland Street, and then in other rented facilities in Johnson City. "He learned English at that time because he would be going to kindergarten." "He didn't speak English until he was 4 and a half years old," said Lynne, his wife of 43 years. His maternal grandparents, John and Anna Jurka, came over from a town, Gbely, in what is now Slovakia, and Ron could speak Slovak. His dad, Joseph, worked as a meat cutter at Loblaw's, and his mom, Mary, sewed shoes together at the Endicott-Johnson plant in Johnson City. Ron didn't come from a long line of music-makers. Some of his old students may even have pulled out an oboe or a sax and played a few notes of the songs he taught them - such as "My Sharona" or "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" - when they heard that 71-year-old Ron died March 13 after a long battle with cancer. He not only taught legions of Binghamton's students but served as a fixture with several local bands. Ron Hunkovic's music may be stilled, but his magic will continue.
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