Obituary: Ronald J. Blakely

Ronald J. Blakely, 77, of Rushville, Mo., a longtime Missouri River booster, died at home on August 9. He served on the Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association board of directors for 20 years and was also a member of the Missouri-Arkansas River Basin Association (MO-ARK) board for many years. In 2009 he was one of only two civilians selected by the Corps of Engineers to collaborate and streamline efforts to get levees repaired following flood events.

Blakely also served as vice chair of the St. Joseph (Mo.) Regional Port Authority from its inception before retiring in 2020. His work, along with that of other board members, paid off when the new port was constructed and opened in 2018.