LTC Cone (U.S. Army retired), of Eatontown, New Jersey, died at St. Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center, Long Branch, New Jersey. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and lived in Janesville, Wisconsin, and various places during his Army career before moving to Eatontown in 1959. He enlisted at Camp McCoy, WI, in 1939 and served at the Second Army Headquarters in Memphis, TN, where he met his wife. He was a decorated soldier who loved his country, and served in World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam before retiring in 1967 at Fort Monmouth as a Lt. Col. after 27 years of service. After his retirement he worked at LTV and IBM and then as a marketing consultant for Harris Corporation, Melbourne, FL, retiring in 1988. He was a member of Post Chapel at Fort Monmouth, the Officers Club, Industrial Reps Association, the Old Crows. He was an avid golfer, bowler and ball player, coaching Babe Ruth and Little League. But most of all, he was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He had a wonderful sense of humor and his greatest joy was his family. He was raised in a loving family and he married into a loving family.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Martha Miller Cone; 2 sons, Ralph N. Cone Jr. and his wife, Lucy of Longview, TX, and Richard Lee Cone and his wife, Jackie of Eatontown; 2 daughters, Linda Marie Kennedy of Eatontown and Gloria Jeanne Rossignol and her husband, Roger of Tinton Falls, NJ; 2 sisters, Betty Chrissinger and her husband, Eldon and Lucille Flynn, both of Wisconsin; 6 grandchildren: Christine and Kevin Stevens, Allison Kennedy, Kenneth and Angie Cone, Chris and Cathy Cone, Jordan and Jamie Cone, and Cory Cone; 4 stepgrandchildren: Vincent and Jennifer Rossignol, Michael and Dawn Rossignol, David and Terri Rossignol and Trisha and John Giard; 12 great-grandchildren and 5 stepgreat-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Nettie Truesdale Cone; his 4 brothers: Floyd, Ray, Robert and David Cone; his son, Robert Kenneth Cone in 1995; and his grandson, Timothy Shipley.