Ronald Major Carnie, 59
Ronald Major Carnie, 59
Ronald Major Carnie, 59, of Moscow, Idaho, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, after a sudden heart attack.
Ron was born on Sept. 28, 1960, to George and Nellie (Clark) Carnie Ogilvie in Meridian, Idaho. He was their third child. When our parents divorced, he moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, along with our mom and siblings.
He loved living in North Idaho, walking down to Playland Pier and swimming with the rest of our cousins, having pudding for dinner (because it was something his oldest sister knew how to cook), playing football for CHS, marching down Sherman playing those Sousa marches on his tuba for Mr. Terris, fishing at Fernan Lake, and much later water skiing with our stepdad, Larry Ogilvie, after our mom remarried. He loved going to Grama Carnie’s farm and driving the tractor even though that usually meant hauling some hay. Ron was a cheerful freckle-faced cutie who enjoyed “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago, Grand Funk Railroad, the Beatles and “Riders on the Storm.” After graduating from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1979, he went on to study welding at North Idaho College, graduating in 1980.
Ron seemed like a happy-go-lucky young guy looking for his place and purpose. However, when he was about 17, schizophrenia, often a genetic disorder, started to surface without warning. Life suddenly became much more confusing and difficult for him. He said he was frightened about the hallucinations he was having. In his late teens after repeated attempts to self-medicate, a judge ordered that he live in a group home and take medication for schizophrenia.
Ron lived from his late teens in group homes in Washington state and Lewiston, Idaho, before settling in with others at a group home in Moscow. He mowed the lawn in the summer and shoveled snow in the winter, becoming one of the core members and earning the respect of the house director, Ron Mills.
Ron was kind to everyone at the house, especially a stray cat the house took in. Sometimes the medication worked better than others, but our brother was calm and did well under Ron Mills’ leadership. His scattered family tried to come visit him every summer and more often when possible.
Ron loved to go out to eat and to have a meal with some coffee and pie. He enjoyed tinkering with music and computers and smoking on the back porch with others from his group home or snagging some raspberries when available from the neighbors’ bush near the porch. He was responsible, helpful and steady at the home all those years. Ron loved going for a long walk around Moscow any time of the day or night.
Ron was predeceased by his grandparents, Charles and Alice (Barnum) Carnie, and Walter and Helen (Miser) Clark; his stepmom, Deanna (Corliss) Carnie; infant Zachary Carnie who was adopted as an orphan by George and Deanna Carnie; his stepdad, Lawrence Ogilvie; and his mom, Nellie Clark Carnie Ogilvie.
He is survived by his dad, George Major Carnie; his older sister, Pam Carnie; older brother, Steven “Mitch” (Ruth) Carnie, and their children, Jennifer (Sean) Muranjan, Justin Carnie and Jillian Carnie. He is also survived by his younger sister, Sharon (Peter) Feeley with their children, Erin Feeley, Teagan Feeley and Molly Feeley; and as well by our half-siblings, Malia Carnie, Landon Carnie and Lorie Carnie; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He also leaves behind others who were like family because of their long life together at the group home.
A small reception celebrating Ron’s life will be held for his friends in Moscow from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, at the East city park for Lami House. Ron had lived at the Latah Alliance on Mental Illness (LAMI) House for 23 years.
A graveside service mindful of social distancing will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens.
If you would like, in lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to the “Ron Carnie Memorial Fund” through LAMI Advocacy, P.O. Box 8654, Moscow, ID 83843. Website: https://www.lamiadvocacy.org. Mental Health is not yet well-funded in Idaho. This gift will be put to good use by local people who can meet real needs experienced by those he lived with so long.
In this time of loss, we focus on the blessings. We are thankful that Ron had a good place to live, he went suddenly and didn’t have to endure long hospitalization or medical treatment in the middle of COVID-19, his death happened in the summer weather when having outdoor socially distanced memorials is possible and relatively comfortable.
However, mostly the family wants to express our gratitude at the kind things you did for him — birthday parties when we couldn’t be there, rides to and from Moscow at times, offering their homes, calling him, including him when possible — all the simple things families do to express generosity of heart. Thank you for your kindness to our family and crying with us and reminiscing through our experience of sudden loss and helping each other celebrate his life.
