| Overall UK Wins: 2 | Overall UK Losses: 1 | Win % 66.6 |
Date of Birth: March 5, 1938
Date of Death: September 5, 2023
Hometown: Courtland, KS
For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.
| Date | Matchup | W/L | Score | UK Fouls | Opp Fouls | UK FTA | Opp FTA | UK DQ | Opp DQ | Technicals | Officiating Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/13/1980 | Kansas at Kentucky | W | 87 - 73 | 22 | 23 | 27 | 22 | 1 | 0 | None | Lou Moser and Ron Spitler |
| 3/31/1984 | Kentucky vs. Georgetown | L | 40 - 53 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | None | Ron Spitler, Mike Tanco and Booker Turner |
| 3/1/1987 | Oklahoma at Kentucky | W | 75 - 74 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 1 | 0 | None | Don Rutledge, Charles Watkins and Ron Spitler |
Obituary - Hutchinson (KS) Daily News (April 16, 2024)
Ronald Dean Spitler
Ronald "Ronnie" Dean Spitler, 85, passed away on September 5, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he resided for over 20 years.
Ron was born to the late Sadie Hemphill and Glenn Baird on March 5, 1938, in Winfield, Kansas.
Ron married his high school sweetheart, Kay Minihan, earned a BS degree in Industrial Arts, and taught at Sherman Jr High in Hutchinson. Together they had 3 children. Later, he married Betty Marie OÕBleness, and they had a daughter.
He is best known for his work as a basketball and football referee, which he began in 1966. Over the course of 37 years, he officiated at the high school and junior college levels, the Missouri Conference, and Big Eight. He worked for the NFL (# 119) from 1982 to 2003. In addition to his officiating career, he worked for Detroiter Mobile Homes, but many will remember Ron from his gas station years, one on North Main and the other on Plum.
He is survived by 3 children, Terri (Spitler) Shurtleff of Wichita, Rick Spitler (Amy) of Hutchinson, and Rona (Spitler) Fitzmier of Sparks, Nevada, 7 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 2 half-brothers, Larry (Barb) Baird, and Johny (Sandra) Baird (Oklahoma), and a step-brother, Howard Spitler (Kansas).
Ron was preceded in death by his parents, his stepfather, Ray Spitler, and his son, Douglas Spitler.
