MARTINSVILLE, N.J. - Robert J. Ring, 72, died June 28, 2011, at his home in Martinsville. He was born in Chicago and had lived in Martinsville, N.J., for 46 years.

Mr. Ring graduated from Fairmont High School in Minnesota, Lincoln Tech, and he also attended the Newark College of Engineering. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corp from 1957-59, and was stationed at Fort Monmouth, where he met his future wife, Gail Knowles, at a dance.

Before his retirement in 2006, he was the chairman of Meyer & Depew Heating & Cooling in Kenilworth, where he had worked since 1961. He was a Certificate Member Specialist of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society, and a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

Mr. Ring was a 46-year member of the Martinsville Volunteer Fire Dept., and a Communicant of Blessed Sacrament Church in Martinsville. He was the Assistant Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troops 146 and 46 in Martinsville; a Member of Our Lady of the Hills Council 5959 Knights of Columbus in Martinsville; and a Past Faithful Navigator of the George Washington Assembly of the Knights of Columbus in Somerville. He also was a member of the 200 Club of Somerset County, an organization that supports Emergency Services.

He enjoyed hiking and backpacking, especially in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, where he owned a vacation home. He was a member of the Hurricane Mountain Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club in Keene, N.Y., and an “Adirondack 46er,” having hiked all 46 peaks over 4,000 feet in elevation in the Adirondack Mountains.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur J. Ring and Claire Logelin Ring, and his daughter Kathleen Ring Allegra. Mr. Ring is survived by his wife of 51 years, Gail E. Knowles Ring; brothers James, Steven, and John; sons Robert C. (Pamela) and Timothy (Theresa); daughter Allison Ring Abbott (Mark); son-in-law Joseph Allegra (Patricia); seven grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and cousins.

A donation may be made in memoriam to the American Cancer Society, 7 Ridgedale Ave., Ste. 103, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927. To send condolences, please go to www.higginsfuneralhome.com.

Publication date: 07/11/2011