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Viewing, memorial set for Eagle County man

Ronald “R.T.” Gonsoir died saving his daughter while they were boating on Wolford Reservoir. A viewing is Wednesday, Aug. 11 at Everett Funeral Home in Gypsum, and a memorial service is 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13 at the Eagle Information Center.
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EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado – Family and friends are invited to Wednesday’s viewing and Friday’s memorial service for Ronald “R.T.” Gonsoir, an Eagle County man who died last week saving his daughter from drowning.

His viewing and memorial service are scheduled for next week: viewing 9-11 a.m. Wednesday at the Everett Funeral Home, in Gypsum; the memorial service is 2 p.m. Friday at the Eagle Information Center in Eagle.

Gonsoir, his girlfriend and his daughters were at Wolford Reservoir near Kremmling, where the accident happened.



Searchers recovered his body from Wolford Reservoir two days later, on his 47th birthday.

“He’s a hero and his alive because of it,” said Gonsoir’s brother-in-law Frenchy Cusson.

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R.T. Ronald Gonsoir was born in Graceville, Minn., Aug. 2, 1963.

He attended Browns Valley School in Browns Valley, Minn., and moved to Colorado in the early 1980s. He soon started his businesses, Simon Sez and Airlink.

He is survived by daughters Delainie and Keegan Gonsoir, of Steamboat Springs; his mother, Shirley Winters, of Browns Valley, Minn.; sisters Sherry Cusson (husband Frenchy), of Eagle, and Chelly Lewendowski, of Watertown, S.D.; brothers Gerry Torgerson, of Huron, S.D., and Burt Gonsoir, of Browns Valley, Minn.; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his brother Rodney Torgerson, grandparents, his uncle Harold Krone and his aunt Luanna Krone.

“The most important thing in RT’s life was his girls,” said his sister Sherry.

He enjoyed camping, boating, traveling, snowmobiling, riding his Harley and more.

“He was a very giving man. He would do anything for anybody. He was a very loving father,” Sherry says.

Friends and colleagues say R.T. was known by many for his “yelling” on the job sites, but at the end of the day all was forgotten and all laughed and thanked each other for good day’s work.

Sherry says she will always remember him telling her “You ain’t all there are ya?”

A fund is being established to help pay for his daughters’ counseling as they cope with the tragedy.


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