Ronald "Ronnie" Eugene Popham

Ronald Eugene “Ronnie” Popham, 85, passed away peacefully on September 4. He was born in Louisville on March 13, 1941, to Margaret Evelyn Gootee Popham and Michael Francis “Frank” Popham.

Ronnie was raised in the Bowman Field projects, in former military barracks that had been converted to housing for returning G.I.s after World War II.

At age 12, Ronnie boxed a young man named Cassius Clay. He was always proud to say that the future Muhammad Ali beat the crap out of him.

Ronnie served for five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, from 1958 to 1963. He served in the Ceremonial Guard at 8th and I in Washington, D.C., followed by 18 months at Camp Lejeune and stints in Vieques, Puerto Rico. He later spent two years in Sasebo, Japan, where he was co-captain of the Marine football team. He was also proud to have been a three-time anchor in the Marine Corps tug-of-war competition.

After leaving the Marines, Ronnie worked at Ford for seven years, as many members of his family had done. His advocacy for workers there eventually led him to become an international union representative for AFSCME, where he continued fighting for workers’ rights. He was once told he could work only in the South because he “talked funny.”

Throughout his life, Ronnie was a strong voice and fierce agitator for workers’ rights, civil rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. He was known for wearing a provocative red hat stating “Black Lives Matter,” which made him recognizable at several Kroger stores and a few Norton hospitals, and to more than 147,000 Redditors.

Ronnie was also a writer of essays, including work published in Louisville Magazine, and he loved handing out folded copies of his writings to strangers. He wrote numerous letters to the editor advocating for civil rights and social justice. Recurring themes in his writing included lessons he learned from his father and mother and lessons he learned from bullies. From a young age, he despised bullies—whether they were on the school bus or in positions of political power.

In his later years, Ronnie retained all the verve of his youth. He was a voracious talker who would tell you a story no matter who you were. He loved a good debate and was never shy about sharing his views.

He loved alliteration, vocabulary, and multi-syllable profanities.

He loved books and owned thousands of them, returning to his favorites again and again, often loaning them to others.

He loved movies, rewatching his favorites numerous times and quoting from them often.

He also loved quotations, pulling favorites from books and movies, filling thousands of index cards with quotes he wanted to remember.

Most of all, Ronnie loved his wife and partner, Mary. Theirs was a love story above all others.

Ronnie was predeceased by his parents; his son, Steve Newman Popham; three siblings, Margaret Mary Popham (infant), Sandy Popham Mancini, and Michael Francis “Mike” Popham, Jr.; and his double first cousins Janet, Linda, Al, and Brian.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Virginia Rogers Popham; children Joseph Edward Popham, Brendan Patrick Popham, and Leslie Scott “Scottie” Stevens; stepdaughters Mary Jo Gediman and Laura Pfannmoeller; double cousin Paula Popham Rodman; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and many long-standing friends.

If you want to honor Ronnie in a meaningful way, own a dictionary—a real printed dictionary, preferably from a used bookstore. Use it well and often.

Services will be private.

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