Ronald Phillip LeFevre
June 20, 1960-April 5, 1994
Born in San Jose, California, Ron LeFevre got his start in skating at the Silver Edge Figure Skating Club. Representing the Seattle Skating Club, he placed fifth in the junior men's event at the 1982 Northwestern Pacific Championships. As a professional, he toured as a line captain with the Ice Capades and finished third in the 1988 U.S. Open Challenge Cup in Daytona Beach, Florida. He passed away in Redmond, Washington on April 5, 1994 at the age of thirty-three.
An article about Ron's death from the "Seattle Times": "Ronald Phillip LeFevre was born with a love for performing and a heart for poetry. He was an exuberant, funny Ice Capades performer who loved entertaining people and lived for applause. He was also introspective and creative, expressing his inward search for identity through poetry. When he was in his early 20s, he wrote the following poem in French, which has been translated by a friend:
Without Clouds
I want a life of summers without clouds
I want my winters without snow in my heart
I want moods refreshed by spring dew
I pray that love will melt autumn's frost
I pray for love without clouds
Mr. LeFevre died Tuesday at Group Health Eastside Hospital in Redmond after suffering a series of debilitating strokes. He was 33. He began ice skating as a child when his mother introduced the sport to him and his sister, who skated as a pair. In 1981, he completed the gold test - the highest level of qualifying tests - for the U.S. Figure Skating Association. He joined the Ice Capades in 1984 and was a line captain for five years. Four years later, he won a bronze medal in a Professional Skaters Guild of America Open National Competition. Mr. LeFevre graduated from Woodway High School, now Edmonds-Woodway High, in 1978. In class, he displayed his love for the stage, and often indulged in slapstick comedy. 'He would always do funny things, like pretending to fall off the sidewalk,' said a childhood friend, Tami Lawrence. Mr. LeFevre continued skating while he studied at Shoreline Community College. He was funny, even during times of suffering, said his sister, Annette Kessler. After he suffered a stroke that paralyzed half of his body, he lifted one of his legs and joked, 'Look at this! But it's still not ready for Thighmaster.' 'He was really funny,' said Kessler. 'He was always positive.' Mr. LeFevre's longtime friend Marie Smart said his mother died when he was in his mid-20s. A month later, they saw an injured bird on the ground. Smart remembered how Mr. LeFevre swaddled the bird in his T-shirt and held it in his hands, panicking over what to do. The bird died, and Mr. LeFevre cried. The two of them decided it was a metaphor for the passing of his mother. 'He was extremely sensitive,' said Smart. 'And he always looked deeply inward. He was always looking inside himself to find something better.' Mr. LeFevre is survived by his father, William LeFevre of Edmonds; his sister, Annette Kessler of Marysville; and his brothers, Paul LeFevre of Edmonds and David LeFevre of Olympia."
*Source for inclusion: Coded language, "Skater Ronald Phillip Lefevre Performed With Ice Capades", Vanessa Ho, April 10, 1994
