Gazette’s Ron MacArthur remembered

Ron MacArthur, the Cape Gazette’s senior reporter and longtime community servant, lost his battle with liver disease May 14. 

A Seaford native, Ron, 70, left an indelible mark on Sussex County as an elected official, community volunteer, newspaper reporter and columnist, photographer and historian. 

“Ron fought tirelessly over the past couple of years to find a solution to a situation that was ultimately beyond his control,” said Cape Gazette Publisher Chris Rausch. “Throughout his illness, staying connected to the Cape Gazette remained deeply important to him. Being a local journalist meant the world to Ron, and he embodied everything one could hope for in a community-centered reporter.”

Ron started his journalism career at 18 years old working for the Seaford Leader, where he was sports editor and later became editor. He also worked for the Seaford Star and the Milford Chronicle. In 1988-89, Ron spent a year in France working as a small-town editor for the International Herald Tribune. While there, he attended the Tribune’s 100th anniversary party in the Eiffel Tower, where he met broadcast legend Walter Cronkite.

He joined the Cape Gazette team 18 years ago.

Ron has been a community champion his entire life. He served on Seaford City Council from 1990 to 2005. At the time, he was the youngest person ever elected in Seaford.

He also worked as a family coordinator for the Boys & Girls Club, served as a coach and umpire for Seaford Little League and was president of Kiwanis. Conservation and preservation have always been an interest and passion, so it’s no surprise he founded the Nanticoke River Watershed Group to protect the river.

Later in life, he enjoyed boating with his wife Kathy and photographing nature, both here in the Cape Region and throughout the country. 

Many friends, family, and current and former colleagues gathered in April at the Lewes Yacht Club, a place Ron loved, to celebrate his 70th birthday and semi-retirement from the Cape Gazette. Although he wasn’t feeling well, Ron enjoyed reconnecting with those who attended, and reminiscing about his life and career. 

Ron was born and raised in Seaford. He often shared childhood stories about running all over western Sussex County in his Around Sussex column that appeared every other week in the Cape Gazette. 

Ron met his wife Kathy O’Hanlon in 2004. He moved to Lewes full time in 2007, and they married in 2014. O’Hanlon has been with Ron every step of the way during his recent health troubles. He said he couldn’t have done it without her, as she often served as an advocate when his mental and physical state left him unable to communicate effectively with doctors and nurses.

In addition to his wife, Ron is survived by a daughter, Beth; son-in-law, Eric; stepdaughter Michelle Bland; and three grandchildren, Jenna and Colby, who attend Sussex Tech, and Adin, who serves in the Air Force.

Ron touched many lives during his career as a journalist, elected official and community volunteer. Those offering condolences on his Facebook page May 15 described him as a kind, gentle person who was always fair to those he worked with or interviewed. 

“Ron was a great community journalist, and I will always value him as a colleague and friend,” wrote Sussex County Communications Director Chip Guy.

“Ron was a consummate professional and true gentleman,” wrote Patti Drago, who ran for Sussex County Council as a write-in candidate in 2020. “He cared deeply about our community and that shined through both his work and his kindness. His passing is a terrible loss.” 

“I always enjoyed talking with Ron and loved his posts on Facebook,” wrote Sussex County Attorney J. Everett Moore. “He was a very fair and objective journalist who will definitely be missed.”

Even in his final days, Ron was fighting for what was right. In a Facebook post published by family the day after his death, Ron wrote of his struggles navigating the medical system. 

“In this day of great technology, it’s amazing how many times faxes are used between doctors and testing facilities,” he wrote. “Thank God we have great case managers at Beebe and University of Pennsylvania. And the best manager is my wife Kathy. There is no way I could do all of this without her.”

He also lamented about his struggles with insurance companies. 

“I could write a book on the problems we’ve had,” he wrote. “What is covered and not covered is a mystery to us. My philosophy is that if a medication is crucial and prescribed by a doctor, you should get it, but you know that’s not always the case.”

Information about funeral services will be shared in an upcoming edition of the Cape Gazette.