Funeral services for Ronald Travis Grimes, 74, of Richmond, Texas, are scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at First Baptist Church Richmond, 502 S 5th St, Richmond, TX 77469, with an open visitation starting at 10:00 a.m. Burial services will be held the next day, Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. in the Holly Grove Cemetery in Polk County, Texas.
Ron passed away peacefully on August 25, 2026, surrounded by his loving family while sharing stories and watching his favorite Western movies. Ron was born on February 27, 1952, in Livingston, Texas. In 1970, Ron graduated from Kirby High School in Woodville, Texas and went on to attend the University of Houston where he joined both the Theta Tau professional engineering fraternity and the Chi Epsilon civil engineering honor society. At UH, he earned a BS in Civil Engineering in 1975, followed by a MS in in Civil Engineering in 1978. During his time at UH, he also met his future wife Sharon Sanders, and they were married in June 1976. They had one son, John Grimes, born in December 1991 and were married for 38 wonderful, loving years until she passed away in May 2014, after a long and brave battle with cancer.
Ron began his civil engineering career with Turner, Collie & Braden and eventually joined ERM Southwest in 1989. At ERM, he had over 30 years of experience in civil engineering projects, primarily in water and wastewater treatment facilities, stormwater systems, and environmental remediation projects for governmental & industrial clients in the U.S. and Mexico. Ron would eventually retire with ERM Southwest after 30+ years with the company in 2014.
In his retirement, Ron then married Linda Minyard in March 2015, and they spent over 11 years together traveling the country, visiting national parks, enjoying nature photography, and watching Astros games together with their beloved cat, Jake. Ron was also an amateur radio operator (WA5SCE), a past president & life member of the Outdoor Nature Club, and most recently, a published co-author of “Birds of the Texas Coast: Photographs,” with his longtime friend B.C. Robison.
Over the years, Ron was very active in Scouting, serving in various Brazos District Committee roles and leadership roles with Pack 941, Troop 941, and Venturing Crew 1000. His passion for Scouting led to many awards including the District Award of Merit, Brazos District Family of the Year Award, Wood Badge, and Silver Beaver Award, among many others. He was also a proud Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow for Colonneh Lodge 137, attending NOAC with his son in 2006 and 2009.
Ron was also a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Rosenberg for over 30 years, serving on various church committees until its closure in 2026, followed by becoming a member of First Baptist Church Richmond.
Ron is preceded in death by his father, James Trumon “J.T.” Grimes; his mother, Leah Pace; his stepfather Myers Pace; and his first wife, Sharon Grimes. Ron is survived by his second wife, Linda Grimes; his son, John Grimes; his daughter-in-law Catherine Lococo; his mother-in-law JoAnn Sanders; his stepmother June Grimes; his brothers-in-law David Sanders, Rick Jefferson, Roane Lacy, and Raymond Minyard; his nephews Matthew Jefferson (Vicki), Patrick Jefferson (Claudette), Andrew Jefferson (Lauren), and Ben Lacy (Noell); his nieces Jane Talebi (Hani) and Cate Geralds (Jon); among many other nephews, nieces, cousins, family, and friends.
Memorials may be made to Yellowstone National Park or Big Bend National Park. Yellowstone: https://www.yellowstone.org/ Big Bend: https://www.bigbendconservancy.org/donate
You may also purchase Ron’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Texas-Coast-Photographs-Southwest/dp/1682832341
Condolence messages may be written for the Grimes family at www.garmanycarden.com
Services are under the direction of Garmany & Carden Funeral Directors. 1201 Fourth Street, Rosenberg, TX 77471, 281-342-4671.
