Ronald Prybelski

Ronald L. Prybelski of Austin, Minnesota, died peacefully, with his wife Phyllis by his side, on Thursday, July 6, 2023.

Ron was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on March 22, 1947 to Mary (Brown) and Louis Prybelski. He grew up on a dairy farm near Denmark, Wisconsin. Ron graduated from Denmark High School in 1966. He completed his undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and began his career as a psychiatric social worker at Parkview Health Center, Oshkosh. He worked for several years as a counselor with Victor Helman Foundation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and he and Phyllis moved to Austin, Minnesota when he accepted a position as Program Director with Sheriff’s Youth Programs. He went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Education from Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall, Minnesota and was in administration with the Austin Public Schools until his retirement in 2014.

When Ron was attending grade school and high school, educators were unfamiliar with dyslexia and no remedial help was available to him. This compelled him to become an excellent listener with outstanding recall, skills that helped make him a patient, and insightful counselor with the youth he worked with. He will be remembered throughout the Austin community for his impact as an educator and mentor. He was a role model to students and staff alike, who found his compassion and attentiveness to be forthright and from the heart.

Ron’s passion for social work and education, lead him to meet the love of his life, Phyllis Gerleman. Ron and Phyllis were married in Calmar, Iowa on September 1, 1973, and had a strong and loving marriage for 49 years. They had two children, Ann and Adam and became grandparents to Stella.

Ron’s retirement years were filled with visits to see family and friends, delivering motor homes throughout the USA, teaching AARP safe driving classes, a hospice volunteer, delivering meals on wheels, road trips near and far to visit museums and historical sights, finding great restaurants, good pie and feeding the birds in the backyard, as well as birdwatching wherever his travels took him. For six years, he and Phyllis wintered in The Villages, Florida. Ron enjoyed American history and read many biographies on America’s founding fathers.

He was predeceased by his mother, Mary (Brown); father, Louis Prybelski; stepfather, John Przybylski; sister, Betty Prybelski; aunts, Alice, Angeline, Helen, Cecilia Przybylski, Jessie (Glen) Hoover; uncles, Rev. Leo Przybylski, Tony Przybylski, Roland Shirl, Russell, Earl, Omer, and Harold Brown; parents-in-law, Edmund and Celia Gerleman; sister-in-law, Marie Kreitzer; brothers-in-law, Robert Franke, G. Patrick Weigel, and Paul Gerleman.

Ron is survived by his beloved wife, Phyllis; daughter, Ann; son, Adam (Mara Liss); granddaughter, Stella of St. Louis Park, MN; brother, Kenneth (Bonnie) Prybelski of Marion, IN; sister, Alice Karlin of Marion, IN; sisters and brothers-in-law, Ronald Kreitzer of Cresco, IA, Rita Gerleman of Cresco, IA, Edna Franke of New Hampton, IA, Margaret and Robert Koenigsfeld of New Hampton, IA, Mardell and Lawrence Corcoran of Ettrick, WI, Betty and John Pell of Des Moines, IA; and many nieces and nephews.

Ronald’s kindness, generosity and calming presence will be greatly missed.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 14th at St. Augustine Catholic Church with Father Thien Nguyen officiating. There will be a 4 p.m. parish Rosary on Thursday at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary with visitation following from 4:15 to 7:00 p.m. Visitation will also be at the church on Friday morning one hour prior to the service. Private interment will be in Calvary Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made in Ron’s honor to Hope Lodge – Rochester, MN or the Hormel Institute