A celebration of life for a truly remarkable woman, Ronda Lou Menke Haas, will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in West Des Moines.
Ronda passed away Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, after a sudden and unexpected illness.
Born Nov. 12, 1950, in Perry, she was the eldest of four children born to Robert and Kathryn (Rose) Bristle.
Ronda graduated from Perry High School in 1968 and attended the University of Iowa before graduating from Drake University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She returned to Drake in 1989 to complete her master’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
Ronda had a long and varied career, reaching positions of leadership in virtually every realm of her work – first as a reporter and editor for the Perry Daily Chief, then as the first public relations director for shopping mall developer General Growth Properties. Her interest in and commitment to public policy led her to staff positions in the Iowa House of Representatives and later as Executive Director of the Iowa Republican Party.
The philosophical and ideological changes that sent the party veering to the right led to her final career change when she became assistant professor of public relations at Drake University. She was eventually named associate professor and remained on the faculty until her retirement in 2013.
At Drake, she helped hone the skills of literally hundreds of students, many of whom would go on to become the next generation of PR professionals and university communications faculty. During those years, she also served as a PR consultant and senior counsel for a broad range of clients and non-profit organizations. Even after retirement, she never lost her passion for correcting the grammar, spelling and punctuation of others.
In her words, “it is my sworn duty.”
Ronda also had a rich and fulfilling personal life. A devout Episcopalian, she served her church in various capacities for many years.
She was an avid reader and lifelong learner.
She was a devoted, loyal and fiercely protective friend.
Blessed with a zest for life and sharp sense of humor, she was unashamed of her love of shopping, properly accessorized table settings, selected aspects of popular culture (“I can’t help it. It’s like watching a train wreck”), spirited discussions of public issues and political candidates and all things Vera Bradley. In recent years, one of her personal goals was to be the top UPS delivery customer in Johnston. Ronda rarely met a shopping mall she didn’t like. She considered it heresy to leave the house without a well-accessorized outfit and full but tastefully understated makeup.
Above all, she was devoted to her family: her beloved husband, Marty; her adored son, Jason, and his wife, Tamara; and her biggest joy as “Granny” to grandchildren Andrew, Carter and Kennedy Menke.
Ronda was preceded in death by her mother, Kathryn.
She is survived by her father, Bob Bristle (Delores) of Windsor Heights; husband, Marty, of Johnston; son, Jason (Tamara) Menke and their children, Andrew, Carter and Kennedy of Urbandale; former husband and dear friend, David Menke of Urbandale; brothers, Michael (Cheryl) Bristle of Bixby, Okla., and Mark (Joy) Bristle of Cave Creek, Ariz.; sister, Linda (Don) Daniel of Mauldin, S.C.; father-in-law, Jim Haas of Perry; stepsons, Matthew, Steven and Brian Haas, all of Keene, N.H.; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, her family requests memorial contributions to either JDRF – Central Iowa Chapter or to Drake University (Ronda Menke Haas Fund in the memo line). Contributions to Drake will be directed toward the fees associated with professional certification of recent public relations graduates. Online donations can be made at: http://greateriowa.jdrf.org or https://alumni.drake.edu/publicrelationsfund.
