Ronald L. "Rick" Lamberty, 88, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

Ronald L. Lamberty was born November 16, 1936, in Bode, Iowa, to Vince and Johanna (Geraets) Lamberty, who relocated to a farm near Dell Rapids, SD. Ron was the oldest of eight children. His parents, stepmother Mary, brothers Jim, Bob, Paul, Fr. Darrell, and sister Mary Jo preceded him in death, and is survived by his sister Shiela Terry and brother Gary (Renee) Lamberty, both of Sioux Falls.

Ron graduated from Dell Rapids St. Mary's School and went on to serve honorably in the United States Marine Corps. Following his military service, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from South Dakota State University.

When he returned from the Marine Corp, he met Sharlene Fleming at a dance in Dell Rapids, and told her date he could leave, as Ron would be giving Shar a ride home. On August 23, 1958, Ron and Sharlene were married at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Sioux Falls.

Together they built a home filled with chaos, faith, love and laughter, raising seven children who all survive him: Kelli Lamberty of Madison, WI, Ron (Lori) Lamberty of Sioux Falls, SD, Greg (Laurie) Lamberty of St. Paul, MN, Kerri (Don Bosch) Lamberty of Shell Lake, WI, Todd Lamberty of Sioux Falls, SD, Chris (Katharine Clark) Lamberty of Evansville, WI, and Steve (Nicole) Lamberty of Brandon, SD. Ron was also a proud grandfather of 15 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Some of the laughter in the house – and many groans - came from Ron's love of "shaggy dog" jokes, which he often made last long enough people started timing them or seeing how long they could leave the room after the joke started while still returning in time for the punch line.

Professionally, Ron spent most of his career at Shakstad Electric and Machine Works, where he specialized in designing custom controls for the agricultural industry. His work ranged from animal feeding applications to cheese factory systems to automation for some of the region's first ethanol plants, leaving a lasting impact on area agriculture and industry.

Ron loved sports even though he injured himself nearly every time he played basketball or softball, and rarely finished a round of golf without helicoptering a club. He found far greater success and joy in coaching his children's softball football or basketball teams, and Ron served as one of the first commissioners of the South Dakota Junior Football League.  He loved watching his children and grandchildren play sports, and did his part to help them succeed with vocal support from the stands and loud and frequent questioning of the integrity, eyesight, and intelligence of officials.

Having renounced the Baltimore Colts as a condition for Shar's acceptance of his marriage proposal, Ron became an ardent fan of the Green Bay Packers. His love for both grew stronger after attending games at County Stadium when the family lived in Milwaukee in the early 60's, survived being surrounded by Minnesota Viking fans in South Dakota during the Packers' lean years of the 1970s and '80s, and flourished during the Packers lopsided humiliation of the Vikings in the 90's and beyond. He was able to see several games at Lambeau Field and became a Green Bay Packers shareholder in 1997.

Ron's life was anchored by his Catholic faith. He was a proud 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus, a fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and he volunteered to serve in many capacities at services and on boards at St. Lambert's, St. Mary's, and Christ the King churches and schools. Catholic education was a priority for Ron and he was proud his children all attended catholic schools and graduated from O'Gorman High School.

Ron was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who was proud of the accomplishments of those he loved, and was a more important part of those successes than he ever appreciated.

Services
Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, November 14, 2025, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 2109 S. 5th Ave in Sioux Falls, SD, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Arrangements are with Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory.