Theater Family Mourns the Passing of 'BROTHER RON'

Members of the theater family flung far and wide - or at least as far as trains, planes, ships and automobiles can take them - are mourning the sudden passing last Friday of Ron McIntyre Fender, the man known as the "Saint of Chattanooga" for his efforts on behalf of the homeless and beloved by theater folk all over the world for his warm, welcoming and abiding friendship from his days as an actor, director, stage manager, company manager and artistic director.

A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Brother Ron (as he is known now thanks to his tireless work among the homeless community in his adopted hometown of Chattanooga) died of a heart attack on Friday. He was 61 years old.

According to the website of the Brotherhood of St. Gregory, the Episcopal order of monks he "professed in 2006," Brother Ron "had a long history of serving the homeless community in ministries of foot care, end of life care, and outreach. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Ron shared Appalachian lore as a gifted storyteller, great talent as an actor, and his love of the Gospel as a prophetic preacher."

"I had the extreme pleasure of knowing him for over 15 years. Brother Ron was a colleague, co-worker, great friend, and an amazing human being," writes Dale R. Souders, USN (retired) of Chattanooga, on The Chattanoogan website.

"Brother Ron spent many years as an outreach case manager at the Chattanooga Community Kitchen. I have worked with some cool people over the years, but he was special. He was kind, compassionate, empathetic, accepting and a very holy and spiritual man.

"Brother Ron embodied what a Christian really is and should be. Non-judgmental, open minded, loving, and understanding. Working with him was like having Christ in the room with you. Brother Ron did the Lord's work- caring for poor and needy people. He always put others needs first.

"The Episcopal churches in and around Chattanooga were blessed to have this man as part of the Diocese and community. His loss will be mourned by many. He is now dining at the Lord's Table."

For members of the theater community, Ron has been known for decades as a warm and giving individual, nurturing talent, welcoming new faces to the various theater companies for which he has worked and for toiling tirelessly to bring the very best theater to audiences all over.

For myself, I first met Ron 20-some years ago when he was artistic director of the Oak Ridge Community Playhouse, when I was first welcomed at the theater to review shows. Back in the day - when I reviewed and covered theater from one end of the Volunteer State to the other, from Memphis to Knoxville, from Clarksville to Chattanooga, Nashville, Murfreesboro and all points in between - Ron made me feel a part of the Oak Ridge theater family.

In fact - in a bit of First Night history - the only time that we've ventured outside of Nashville for a First Night event was the first (and only) presentation of Knoxville's First Night Awards, held at Oak Ridge Community Playhouse and featuring a plethora of presenters and performers from throughout East Tennessee, thanks in large part to Ron's support and expert assistance.

Throughout his time in Oak Ridge, Ron was one of those theater people upon whom I counted to keep me updated about what was going on while providing me with all sorts of theatrical gossip and shoptalk for a column I wrote called "Some Dirt" in the theatre publication I published and edited for three years called Some, Tennessee's Onstage Monthly.

As life will often do, however, our paths diverged at a point and it was about 10 years after I'd last seen him at Oak Ridge Community Playhouse - during an annual convention of the Tennessee Theatre Association at which I was presented with the Distinguished Service Award, recognition I suspect was spearheaded by Ron - I heard an interview with him on NPR, talking about his work as an advocate for the homeless in Chattanooga. Ultimately, that radio interview led to our reconnecting via Facebook. As you might suspect, it was as if no time at all had passed since we had last spent time together.

Janelle Cochrane, an actress/director/producer/teacher who now is at home in Birmingham, Alabama, but who likes so many of her cohorts has made a theatrical name for herself all over the country, including several seasons in Nashville, remembers meeting Ron during her first summer at North Carolinia's Flat Rock Playhouse.

"I never actually worked with Ron, but actually knew him from my first summer working at Flat Rock Playhouse. He did many of their school show tours in the off season and lived in the area," she recalls. "He was on the lot a good deal and we had many connected friends. He welcomed me to the FRP vagabond family that summer by giving me an FRP sweater letter. This was like the athletic letters. He also somehow knew that I kind of collected elephants with trunks up for luck and included an ashtray with such an elephant on it.

"I still have both and they mean a lot to me. We reconnected through Facebook and his posts always touched me," Cochrane says. "He did indeed touch so many lives and the reach was further and broader than most realized."

Mark Creter, now a theater professor and director at Cookeville's Tennessee Technological University, called the news of Fender's death "shocking."

"The news about Ron was shocking as I saw him last month at the memorial service for Tom Parkhill's mother and he looked great. Still playfully encouraging me to leave Jennifer and run off to the tropics with him," Creter says. "He was upstate at the Monastery where he was ordained and he had a heart attack. So sad."

Asked to remember a story about his friendship with Ron over the years, he admits that "it's difficult to think of one story about Ron because every time we worked together or socialized together it was wonderful. He was loving and sweet with a laugh that I can still hear. I met Ronnie through Tom when we started the Tennessee Stage Company [in Knoxville]. He directed our first production, Scratch, at the Bijou Theater and it was a beautiful show. I am grateful for the many times we worked and laughed together."