Services for businessman Darling scheduled

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2000 | 10:49 a.m.

Funeral services for Las Vegas businessman Ron Darling, the third member of his family to die in a road accident in the past seven years, will be 4 p.m. Thursday at Palm Mortuary-Eastern.

Darling, 40, of Henderson, was killed Saturday when his motorcycle collided with a truck on a road near Kanab, Utah, the Kane County Sheriff's office said. No further details of the crash were available this morning, a spokeswoman in the sheriff's office said.

Darling's sisters, Amanda and Stacy Darling, died in an auto accident in June 1993, when their car was struck in the intersection of Sandhill Road and Patrick Lane.

The area was in a construction zone, and a temporary stop sign had blown down. Stacy, 21, drove her Chrysler past the sign into the intersection and was struck by another car, police said. Amanda was 6 years old.

The deaths of the two sisters led to a change in Clark County rules to prohibit the long-term use of temporary road signs. It also resulted in the establishment of the Amanda and Stacy Darling Foundation, which annually raises tens of thousands of dollars for local charities.

The Darling family has long been involved in sponsorship of youth activities. Fred Darling, father of Ron, Amanda, Stacy and three other children, is the longtime sponsor of the Darling's 7-Eleven American Legion Baseball team.

Ron and his wife, Barbara Darling, also owned a 7-Eleven convenience store.

Ronald Craig Darling was born Aug. 30, 1960, in Spokane, Wash., but moved with his family to Las Vegas when he was 9 years old.

He was a member of several local organizations, including the Best in the Desert Racing Association, Nevada Tennis Association, 7-Eleven Franchise Owners Association, Nevada Yacht Club and the Safari Club.

In addition to his wife and father, Ron is survived by a 23-month-old son, Thomas Darling; his mother, Shirley Darling; a brother, Bob Darling, all of Henderson; two sisters, Joellen Ritzo of Henderson and Becky Quann of Las Vegas; and a grandmother, Evelyn Boss of Grand Rapids, Mich.

The family says donations can be made to the Amanda and Stacy Darling Foundation, 3007 Regency Hill, Henderson, NV 89014.