Ronald Paul Ziel

Ronald Paul Ziel, 77, a resident under the care of the Good Samaritan Society in Idaho Falls, passed away peacefully on the morning of December 15 from natural causes. Ron was born on July 17, 1939 in the heart of New York City at Wickersham Hospital in Manhattan. He is the son of Roland & Edith Kegel Ziel. Much of his youth was in New York City (Bronx & Queens). When he was ten years old in 1949, his parents and younger brother moved out to the quaint village of Melville located in suburban Long Island. After graduation from Huntington High School in 1957, Ron attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Art in 1961. While at Pratt Institute, he enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) where, upon graduation, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army. His career in the signal corps was short lived since he contracted diabetes. He received an honorable medical discharge. Aside from his family and close friends, Ron’s love and passion were steam engines and railroads. He travelled around the world photographing passenger and freight trains in several countries and in every continent except Antarctica. His collection of black & white and color photos is second to none where Ron has amassed over 30,000 historical railroad photographs during his 35-year career. Ron wrote and published several successful books on trains with emphasis on steam powered railroads. A few of his books were so popular that they were even translated in German and sold throughout Europe. Ron also had a passion for politics. He was patriotic citizen and wherever he lived in later years (eastern Long Island and Tucson, AZ), he was active in supporting candidates for public office of his choice. Ron is survived by his brother, Robert (Bob) Ziel (Ginger) and his three nephews, Paul (Jessica) Aaron (Lesley) and Brian (Amanda). Ron is a Presbyterian by faith. A funeral service will be held Wednesday evening, December 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the chapel of Eckersell Funeral Home located at Main & State Streets in Rigby. Pastor David Bass of the New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church will conduct the religious service followed by eulogies from his friends. Ron’s family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home in Idaho Falls who took very good care and comforted him in the final years of his life.