Ronald Eugene Wills, a longtime Redmond resident and retired senior executive with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, died Jan. 26, 2026, in Kirkland. He was 89.
Born April 10, 1936, in Portland, Oregon, Wills was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family.
As a boy, he served as an altar boy at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, often serving for Archbishop Howard.
He attended Central Catholic High School, where he was a member of the 1952 state-championship football team and the varsity tennis squad.
Wills earned a degree in civil engineering from Seattle University in 1957. He spent more than 35 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, rising to senior executive roles.
Over the course of his career, he managed and monitored major dam projects, including Green Peter, Dworshak, Bonneville, and Warm Springs, and on multiple occasions provided testimony to Congress on budget and construction management.
Colleagues remembered him as focused, methodical, and committed to seeing complex projects through to completion.
In 1960, he married Marilyn Smith; the couple later made their home in Redmond.
They raised three children, Stephen (b. 1961), Julie (b. 1962), and Michael (b. 1963), and built a family life centered on the outdoors.
The Willses enjoyed tent camping across the West, from the California Redwoods to Yellowstone and the Tetons, and regular family outings to baseball games. Family dinners and shared activities were a constant through the years.
Wills was active in parish ministries throughout his life and was a member of the Order of Elks.
He volunteered for his sons’ Little League and Boy Scout activities and remained engaged in community organizations.
Outside of work and service, he enjoyed league bowling, tennis, and gardening; he was especially devoted to roses.
His obituary notes that his most cherished memory was his retirement party marking more than three decades of federal service.
The family described him as a dedicated family man and a steady, quietly determined leader whose core values were honesty and humility.
Wills is survived by his wife, Marilyn; sons Stephen and Michael; and daughter Julie Palu. He will be privately laid to rest at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Portland.
The family has suggested donations instead of flowers to Central Catholic High School’s Ram Give campaign to support tuition assistance.
