Ronald Paul Gambill, Sr., of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on the night of May 28, 2013, while attended by his loving family. Ron was born on January 13, 1943, in El Reno, Oklahoma, to Ethel (Timmons) Gambill Phelps and Clifford Gambill.

As a young man, Ron moved from Oklahoma to Texas and then to California. He served in the United States Air Force for four years. After his discharge from the service and return to California, he met and married his first wife, Judy Carol Adams. In 1970, shortly after the birth of his son, Ronald Gambill Jr., he moved his family to Memphis, TN, to begin his Federal Government career with the Internal Revenue Service. He later transferred to the national headquarters office in Washington, DC, serving the agency with distinction as a mainframe computer programmer until his retirement in 2006, one year after he lost his beloved wife, Judy, to cancer.

Just months after his retirement, Ron was also diagnosed with cancer and had surgery. He then followed Ron Jr. and his wife, Katie, to Indianapolis IN to be closer to his family and to receive treatment at the IU Cancer Center. Ron took his diagnosis as a personal challenge. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments on two separate occasions over the next seven years.

Despite these challenges, Ron lived a full life as a husband, father, and grandfather. Ron was blessed to meet his second wife, Thuytien, in Indianapolis. In August 2009, they were married at the Sunnyside Road Baptist Church and enjoyed three wonderful years together. He was a caring stepfather to Brian Doan, whom he loved very much. He was also blessed with two healthy grandchildren, Connor and Molly, in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

Ron is survived by his wife, Thuytien Thi Gambill, son Ronald Paul (Katie) Gambill, Jr., stepson Brian Doan, and grandchildren Connor and Molly Gambill, all of Indianapolis, IN. He is also survived by his brother Clifford Gambill, Jr., and sisters Linda (Gambill) Watkins, and Doris (Gambill) Todd of Colorado Springs, CO, as well as many cousins in Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford Gambill and Ethel (Timmons) Gambill Phelps, his brother, Timothy Owen Phelps, and his first wife, Judy Carol (Adams) Gambill.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the IU Simon Cancer Center.

Please make memorial gifts payable to the IU Foundation and mail to:

IU Simon Cancer Center
PO Box 660245
Indianapolis, IN 46266-0245

Please be sure to include a note identifying the person your gift memorializes.