Ronald S Nyman

Ronald Sven Nyman of Fontana, Wisconsin, beloved husband of Rita, passed away peacefully at his home on December 27, 2025, surrounded by his family. Ron was the loving father of Eric (Margaret Labus) and adoring grandfather of Emme and Andrew.

Ron was born on Christmas Day, 1946 to Sven and Vivian Nyman, in New Ulm, Minnesota. It was a joyful occasion for his parents, who always called him their best Christmas present.

After relocating to Lombard, Illinois, Ron welcomed the arrival of his little sister, Joy. Ron loved his dog, Penny, and showed an early passion for carpentry, constantly building things in the back yard. At age 15, Ron obtained construction plans for a small sailboat and built it entirely by himself. He and his father sailed it and rekindled Sven’s love of the water. They went on to buy larger and larger sailboats, spending countless summer days cruising and racing on Lake Michigan.

Some of Ron’s favorite childhood memories were from visiting his cousins on their farms in Minnesota. He loved playing in the barns, climbing on tractors, and seeing all of the animals that they raised.

Ron graduated from Glenbard East High School in 1965 and then attended Stout State University (now the University of Wisconsin-Stout) in Menomonie, where he studied building and architecture. He learned to sketch beautiful building designs and draw detailed construction plans. However, his most significant event in college was meeting his future wife, Rita Huckstorf, from Burlington, Wisconsin. They were married on May 15, 1971 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Burlington.

Ron and Rita initially moved to Wheaton, Illinois, where Ron worked as a journeyman bricklayer. In 1972, family friend Gilbert “Gil” Erickson gave Ron an opportunity to work at his construction company, Walworth Builders. Ron and Rita relocated to Fontana and Ron set to work building homes all around the area. When Gil was ready to retire, Ron took over the company and continued to build custom homes for 30 years. He loved working with his customers, designing and building their dream homes. Ron was known for his reliability, quality, and honesty. He never rested until he was proud of his work and his customers were satisfied.

In 1977, Ron and Rita welcomed their son, Eric, into their lives. Ron was a wonderful father to Eric and enjoyed playing, reading, and sailing with him. As he grew up, Eric tagged along with his dad to construction sites and was fascinated by all of the activity. His favorite part, though, was coffee break time, when Ron always had an extra doughnut for Eric.

Ron kept in close contact with his parents, his sister, and her son Matt, who was like a big brother to Eric. Ron loved all of Rita’s family, always attending holiday gatherings with her parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews. Ron and Rita enjoyed sailing with their friends and frequent trips to Door County. They built several houses for themselves, and every home featured a fireplace, built by Ron with beautiful brick and stone work, where they would spend winter evenings by the hearth.

After more than 30 years in construction, Ron hung up his hammer and became a building and zoning inspector, first with the BZA company, and then with the Village of Fontana. Ron loved working with all of his colleagues at the Village until his retirement in 2018.

In retirement, Ron’s hobby was woodworking, and he always had a project going. He built beautiful and unique pieces of furniture, which combined his precision and creativity into works of art. He also enjoyed playing the piano, reading, and working with his neighbors in the Upper Gardens Association. However, his favorite activity was being “Boppa” to his grandchildren. He was so proud of them and lit up at any opportunity to see them.

Ron is survived by his devoted wife, son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, sister, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Memorial gathering will be held at Lazarczyk Family Funeral Home, 515 Center Street, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on Saturday, March 14 from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to:

Friends of Fontana Fire and Rescue - https://www.facebook.com/p/Friends-of-Fontana-

Fire-and-Rescue-100067153271417/

Fontana Public Library - https://www.fontana.lib.wi.us/site/donate/