ROSSETTI, Ronald Ron Rossetti - known as "The Green Dragon" to his fellow runners and "Gigi" to his grandchildren - crossed the finish line of his amazing life's marathon on Thursday, October 15, 2015. His neon green running gear has been retired. Born Ronald Guido Rossetti, Jr., he was only 53 years old when he finished the race. Those cheering most loudly for Ron and his greatest fans include his spouse, Sarah Collins; his four children, Anastasia Rossetti Macaluso, Alexandra Rossetti, Nicholas Rossetti and Aaron Rossetti; his mother Joan Rossetti; his sisters Julie Cloud, Susan Lyden, and Shelly Delfraino; and four grandchildren, Faolan, Sionn, Shea and Finn Macaluso. He was admired and respected by his nephew and niece, Tommy and Victoria Lyden, and Sarah's children, Rachael and Michael Branum. Ron's father, Ronald Rossetti, Sr., was waiting to welcome his son across the finish line, having gone ahead of Ron in 2000. His early years were spent in scenic northeast Ohio where Ron discovered his love for long-distance running and his professional calling as an attorney. Ron worked for Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance for 29 years, holding leadership positions in Claims, Underwriting and Trial Division. Ron loved Nationwide and was very proud of the company. During his tenure there, Ron served in multiple capacities, embracing servant leadership as a God-given responsibility in every role. Prior to his most recent assignment as Associate Vice President in Nationwide's Trial Division, Ron served as Vice President of Field Claims, Texas Claims Officer and then as Texas Underwriting Product Officer. Before moving to Texas in 2002, Ron served in Nationwide's Home Office in Columbus, Ohio as Compliance & Legal Officer. Ron's other assignments included State Claims Counsel for Pennsylvania Operations; State Claims Counsel for Ohio Operations; and Regional Claims Attorney for Ohio Operations. Earlier in his career, from 1989 to 1994, Ron was a Trial Attorney in Ohio, practicing at different times in Dayton, Youngstown and Akron for Nationwide.In 2001, Ron was diagnosed with cancer and proceeded to fight back against the disease through philanthropic means. He participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life every year, and in 2012 founded AngelsFallUp, a non-profit entity that raises funds to support cancer research and preventative education. Fighting cancer by instilling hope became Ron's life mission. He shared these thoughts with a friend: After cancer, you see the world with a new perspective. You face your own mortality. You imagine your family and friends without you. You realize this life is just a blip on the radar tracking man's march through time. ...[Y]ou think about whatever time remains and, at least for me, you appreciate the present more and recognize every day for the gift it is. You wonder too, about your legacy. It derives not from what we want but from what we do. It is about others. And for me it is a simple thing: Create Hope. My aspiration is to help victims of serious illness see there is hope always. Hope is a decision, not a prescription or condition. Some come through a life-threatening calamity in peace, others in pieces. Hope is the first step, without which there can be no peace. Ron will be honored in a private Celebration of Life event on Tuesday, October 20th, 2015. Friends, associates, and the community are invited to join family members on Saturday, October 24th, 2015 at 10 a.m. to honor Ron during the awards ceremony of The Colony Half Marathon, for which Ron was the race director.