Col. Ronald Clayton Stephens

Colonel Ronald Clayton Stephens, US Army (Ret.), 67, passed away August 24, 2026, at his home in
Beaufort, SC.

Born in Richmond, Kentucky, on July 30, 1959, to Henry and Shirley Stephens, Ron dedicated his
life to family, country, and a legacy of selfless service. A 1982 graduate of Eastern Kentucky
University, Ron earned his commission as an officer in the US Army, beginning a distinguished
30-year military career. Driven by a lifelong pursuit of excellence and leadership, he went on to
earn master’s degrees from the University of Colorado and the National Defense University. While
stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia, Ron met and married his great love, Ann Cowart.
Together they shared 38 years of marriage, navigating the rewards and challenges of military life
through 22 duty stations around the globe and Ron’s deployment during Desert Storm.

After retiring from the Army, Ron served as Transportation Director for Washington-Wilkes
Public Schools in Washington, Georgia, until his death. Ron and Ann were members of The First
Baptist Church, Washington, Georgia.

Ron was a proud and devoted father to their three sons: Daniel, Joshua, and Andrew. Above all, his
greatest joy in his later years was his role as Pop-Pop to his beloved grandchildren, Bailee Arin and
Leo Clayton.

Ron is survived by his devoted wife, Ann; his sons and daughter-in-law, Soyeon; daughter-in-love,
Melissa Nevil; his cherished grandchildren; his brother, Greg, and his wife Maggie; his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Rick and Donna Turnbull; his niece, Dr. Taylor Turnbull, and her husband, Mark Rushton; his
nephew, Seth Stephens; his niece, Shae Stephens; and his most loyal canine companions, Raptor
and Shadow. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Shirley Stephens, and his
grandparents, Mike and Edith Stephens, and Bailey and Ophelia Olds.

During his final four months on earth, Ron faced his greatest challenge with extraordinary strength
following a diagnosis of metastatic brain cancer. He met the battle head-on, fighting with
remarkable courage until his final breath, when he was peacefully received into the Kingdom of
Heaven. Ron was secure in his knowledge that Jesus Christ was his Savior.

The family extends their deepest gratitude to all who offered prayers for Ron. Each prayer brought
love and comfort to the family.

Military honors and burial will take place at Beaufort National Cemetery on August 31, 2026, at
11:00 a.m. The procession will assemble at Anderson Funeral Home, 611 Robert Smalls Pkwy, at 10:15
a.m. For those who are unable to attend, the family has arranged for the service to be livestreamed at: https://evt.live/colonel-ronald-stephens

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be made in Ron’s
memory to Wounded Warrior Project or Disabled American Veterans, organizations that support
our nation’s veterans.