Dcn Ron Onslow

It was 2009 and Deacon Ron Onslow sat at St. Tom’s, the Neumann Center at Bowling Green University, still not sure why God led him to a job three hours from his home in Stone Creek, Ohio.

He had been District Executive and Program Director of the Canton Council of Boy Scouts of America for 8 years when he was recruited for a position with the Black Swamp Area Council. While with the Black Swamp Area Council, Deacon Onslow went home on the weekends and during the week he had an apartment from across St. Tom’s and he started spending his evenings there, whether at services or adoration or just reading scripture.

Then one Ash Wednesday it hit him. He had an overwhelming feeling that he was being called. “I remember thinking, ‘God, are you calling me to serve the Church?’ and I felt the answer yes,” said Deacon Onslow. “I said ‘No way,’ but then I felt the words, ‘I’ll take care of the obstacles.’ What I soon realized was that God needed to take me away from my everyday existence at home and put me over there where I could focus on listening to Him. It was then that I realized I needed to get back home and get involved in my own parish.” Deacon Onslow left the Boy Scouts position and went to work as Vice President of Marketing for Biocurv Medical Instruments in Canton.

He and his wife of 31 years, Marge, are members of St. Joseph Parish in Dover. They have four grown children: Shannon, 30; Justin, 28; Matthew, 26 and Andrew, 22. They also have two grandchildren. Deacon Onslow didn’t realize he would be nudged to grow in a way he did not expect. Marge’s uncle passed away and Deacon Onslow decided not to go to the funeral home. “Marge said, ‘You’ve got to get more comfortable with this,’” he said. “Four days later our pastor asked if I could do a wake service. Two days later he asked if I would do anothe
r.”

A week later Deacon Onslow got a call from an area funeral director asking him to be a part-time associate. “The holy spirit shows you why you’re called,” Deacon Onslow said. “I credit my time with the Boy Scouts as allowing me to recognize a call to serve the Church,” said Deacon Onslow. “It was because of scouting that I was in a position to be able to serve. It became very clear from the beginning that I was called to this so it was very peaceful and I never doubted the process. When you place your trust in God everything just falls into place.”