Confluence Tragically Loses One of Its Own: Ron Hostetler
Ron Hostetler, a longtime Confluence Volunteer Fire Department member and the heart of Pumpkinfest each year, was killed this week in a hit-and-run crash.
Confluence lost one of its own this week. Ron Hostetler, a longtime member of the Confluence Volunteer Fire Department, was killed Wednesday in a hit-and-run crash while working with a paving crew on Stone Church Road in Redstone Township, Fayette County. He was 62.
Around here, Ron was the kind of man a town builds itself around. Beyond his years with the fire department, he was one of the faces of Pumpkinfest, leading the parade and pitching in on every part of the festival, from setup to breakdown. He gave the same kind of energy to the fire department and to the community at large, the sort of person who showed up when something needed doing, usually before anyone had to ask.
Ron lost both of his parents young, and in a real sense he raised himself. Maybe that is part of why he poured so much of himself into this town. He built the family he needed right here, among his neighbors and his fellow firefighters, and he loved Confluence fiercely for it.
Word of his death rippled through fire departments across the region. The Markleysburg Henry Clay Volunteer Fire Department, in a tribute posted the night of the crash, said Ron was known for “his willingness to help anyone and everyone at any given time, day or night.” Anyone who knew him here would say the same.
Ron is survived by his wife, Colleen, for whom he had been a devoted caregiver. This is a hard loss for her, and a hard loss for a community that leaned on him more than it probably ever told him.
A friend, Danielle Kooser, has set up a fundraiser to help Colleen with Ron’s funeral expenses and her living costs going forward. Because of her health, Colleen does not work, and Ron was their only source of income. Kooser described him simply: a man who would give away his last dollar to anyone who needed it, and whose life revolved around the woman he loved. The community has already responded in a big way, with donations nearing the fund’s $10,000 goal within days. You can give at the GoFundMe page, “Help for Colleen after Ron’s horrific accident.”
Investigators moved quickly. According to court documents, a Uniontown man was taken into custody hours after the crash, after members of the public helped identify the vehicle from surveillance footage. He has since been charged with homicide by vehicle and related offenses and was denied bail. The case is now before the courts.
Rest easy, Ron. Confluence will not be the same without you.