Ronald D. Carver, age 73, of Ormond Beach, Florida, passed away at his home om April 11, 2026

Ronald, better known to his family and friends as Ron or Ronnie, was born August 2, 1952, in Sioux City, Iowa, to the late Master Sergeant Wiley Carroll Carver and Charlotte Carver Beaver.

Ron grew up in the beautiful mountains of Elizabethton, Tennessee, where he developed a lifelong love for his community, family, and sports. A 1970 graduate of Elizabethton High School, he excelled in basketball, baseball, and football, earning All-Conference honors in all three sports. Ron was inducted into the Carter County and Elizabethton City Sports Hall of Fame. Following graduation, Ron attended Wake Forest University on a basketball scholarship before transferring to the University of Tennessee, where he played under legendary coach Ray Mears.

His entrepreneurial journey began at Ivy Hall Nursing Home, founded by his mother, Charlotte, where he worked alongside her from an early age. There, he learned the values of hard work, dedication, and service that would define his life's work. Building on the foundation she established and guided by his entrepreneurial vision, Ron developed and expanded a successful network of nursing homes throughout the Southeastern United States.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Cecile Keefauver Carver.

Those left to cherish his memory include his daughter, Julia Claire Carver of Ormond Beach, Florida; his sisters, Judy Carver DeLoach (Victor) and Sherry Carver Longbrake; his special nieces and nephews Tiffany, Joey, and Whitney, Joseph and Vic who affectionately referred to him as their “Funcle”; and special family members Joyce Birchfield and Leta Hale.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the Mausoleum of Peace in Happy Valley Memorial Park. Those wishing to attend are asked to arrive by 1:45 p.m.