Ronald Paul Kahlstorf

Ronald P. Kahlstorf of Fourth Ave., Kingston died Monday, April 21, 2008 at Benedictine Hospital. He was 79. He was born in South St. Paul, Minnesota on May 25, 1928, a son of the late Arthur H. and Mayme Buckley Kahlstorf. Mr. Kahlstorf served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. He was awarded the Korean Service Medal with one bronze service star. He belonged to the Joyce - Schirick Post 1386, V.F.W. On April 25, 1954 he married Louise DeCicco and moved to Kingston. In 1955 he began a 32-year career at I.B.M., Kingston in the manufacturing department. He retired in 1987 and was a member of the Quarter Century Club. One brother Dale Kahlstorf of Penn. died previously. Surviving are his wife of 53 years, Louise DeCicco Kahlstorf; two daughters Patricia Berardi and her husband Stephen of Kingston, Kathy Becker and her husband Robert "Fred" of Kingston; two sons Arthur Kahlstorf and his wife Joanne of Kingston and Ronald Kahlstorf and his wife Noreen of Kingston; one brother Wilbur Kahlstorf of South St. Paul, Minnesota; two sisters Evelyn Graybeal of Mountain City, Tenn. and Deloris Snow of Mountain City, Tenn.; six grandchildren Beth Berardi Black, Kyle Berardi, Chris, Rob, Kevin and Nickolas Becker and Dylan Kahlstorf; two step grandchildren Taylor and Brooklynn Milliken; two great granddaughters Makenna Black and Kyleigh Marie Berardi; many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Reposing at the Simpson - Gaus Funeral Home, 411 Albany Ave. on Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 PM. The funeral will be Thursday at 11:15 AM from the funeral home. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Louis Yaya at St. Mary's Church at 12:00 PM. Interment, with military honors by Joyce - Schirick Post 1386, will be in St. Mary's Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105-1942 or Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, PO Box 300, Garrison NY 10524. -------------------------------------------------- Eulogy delivered by his grandson, Christopher Becker at St. Mary's Church: We are here today not only to mourn a death, we are also here to celebrate a life. For death is an important part of life. Indeed, it is the only thing in life that is certain. Each of us are here today because there exists a certain bond between ourselves and the man known as Ronald Kahlstorf, who some call Ron, Ronnie, Dad, Daddy, or Hon, but who I call my Pop. Although his body lies in that casket down there, cold and lifeless, the warmth and vitality of the bond we share with Him can never die, for it is the bond of Love. We share this bond of Love with him because he brought forth Love in every interaction he had with any person he met. This Love, which emanated from my Pop, lives on within our Hearts and Souls forever. Although the source of this Love is no longer contained within the body lying in that casket, the Love itself will always be with us. The grief and pain we feel inside of us is there because a source of constant nourishment for our Souls is no longer with us in the form of Ronald Kahlstorf. We feel sadness in our Hearts because he is no longer there, physically, to feed us with his unique brand of Love. We feel as if our bond with Him has been severed. But I am here to tell you that our bond with him has not been severed, it has only changed form. The strength of the feeling of grief, pain, and sadness that we feel, that distinct emotion that we are experiencing at this moment right now, is greater for those with stronger bonds with my Pop. So for my Grandmother, my Mother, my Uncles, and Godmother, the grief you are experiencing, I can only imagine. But just know that the feeling of grief and of loss is only there because there exists a real spiritual connection between your Souls. For he now lives on as our Ancestor, a guide for us left here to deal with this crazy, messed up world. My Pop's life is a model for us all. He was a man who brought continual joy and laughter into the world with his sense of humor. He was a man who could fix and build just about anything. He was a man who would help out anyone at anytime for anything they needed. Ronald Kahlfstorf, my Pop, was a physical embodiment of Love itself. And now that he has finished his Divine job of spreading Love to others, he can now return to His home in the Heavens. He is free from suffering, he is now one with God and the entire Universe. May He rest in Peace.