Ronald "Ron" James Cherry was born on October 11, 1961, to Carol (Wright) Cotton and the late Ronald Vance Cherry, in Tampa, Florida at Lily White Hospital. He attended Potter Elementary School, Buchanan Middle School, and Tampa Bay Technical High School.

He played little league football with the Tampa Eagles under Coach Bobby Wilds. As a teenager, he worked at a cleaning business owned by his godfather, the late Reverend Moses Anglin. In the neighborhood, he was often referred to as "Cherry Bomb." After graduating from high school in 1979, Ron moved to Albany, Georgia, where he attended Albany State College (now Albany State University) and played football under Coach Hampton Smith. It was in Albany where Ron met his future wife, Sophia Ward. Ron transferred to Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Florida and received his associate's degree. In 1988, he received his bachelor's degree in Data Processing from the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). That same year, he and Sophia moved to Atlanta,
Georgia, where Ron worked for the U.S. Census Bureau. In 1989, Ron and Sophia wed in Albany at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church.

In 1990, they moved to Tampa to be closer to Ron's family and pursue further educational opportunities. Ron and Sophia welcomed their daughter, Alexis, in 1992 and son, Ronald II (RJ), in 1998, and they joined St. James Episcopal Church (now St. James House of Prayer) in Tampa as a family. Over the years, Ron worked as a network engineer for Hillsborough County and was a small business owner of RAS Consulting Services, Inc. He was also known for his talents with technology; he could fix any machine and diagnose any software issue!

His final job was as a paraprofessional at Carver Exceptional Center in Tampa. Ron was loved immensely by his family, friends, colleagues, students, and the community. He was a hardworking and caring individual who was passionate about helping others. He was an active and dedicated member of the Pi Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He received awards for "Omega Man of the Year" in 1998, "Graduate Omega Man of the Year" in 1999, and "Superior Service Award" in 2014. Ron also served as Basileus (President) of the Pi Iota Chapter in Tampa. For several years, he presided over the Chapter's annual Talent Hunt program for local high school students, as well as other events. He most recently enjoyed attending the 2024 Omega Conclave in his own hometown. He liked watching football and nature programs, as well as visiting friends. He loved reading, bowling, and roller skating. Traveling with family was important to Ron, whether it was on a cruise, a road trip, the
Grand Canyon, Gatlinburg, or traveling by train in Napa Valley's wine country.

On March 3, 2025, Ron passed away at the young age of 63. He is preceded in death by his stepfather, Clarence Cotton, and nephew, Rickey Alexander. He is survived by: wife,Sophia Cherry; daughter, Alexis Cherry; son, Ronald (RJ) Cherry II; mother, Carol Cotton; siblings, Donna Washington (Sam), Juan Cherry, Wendell Alexander, Daria Core, Sharla Cherry-Quintanilla (David), Ronda Cherry, and Bruce Cherry; mother-in-law, Lillian Chatmon; aunt, Patricia Johnson (Williams); uncle, Donald Cherry; sisters-in- law, Gloria Lockhart, Shurina Jones (Ronson), and Kimberly Cain; nieces, Artavia Manley (Delaney), Nadia Alexander, Christina Jones, Lily Cain, Brooke Jones, and Malia Alexander; nephews, Juan Cherry, Devin Core, and Justin Jones; great-nieces, Tanajah Battle, Renee Manley, Aaliyah Manley, Brooklyn Manley, and Elise Cherry; great-nephews, Aidan Malcolm and Kingston Malcolm; great-great nephew, Cameron Sutton II; special family friend, Reggie White; goddaughter, Antenea Anglin- Harrington (James); and a host of cousins, family, and friends.

This service was live-streamed. If you would like to view,

please click below:

https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTc0MTk3MzI1MjM1NDA4OSZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==