Ronald George St. Romain, 72, volunteer at special-needs center

By Rick Badie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ronald St. Romain was looking for something to do when he learned about The Elaine Clark Center for Exceptional Children.

The retiree contacted the special-needs center in Chamblee. He talked to Zena Deramus,  who oversees volunteers. She didn't know if Mr. St. Romain would even complete the screening process, much less become a volunteer.

"A lot of people come one time, and that's it," Mrs. Deramus said. "It's a challenge to come in everyday and get that energy up. We have children with an array of developmental, mental and physical disabilities. Some you see. Some you don't. It takes a special person to work with the special-needs population."

Apparently Mr. St. Romain was a special person.

Until his illness, he volunteered at the center twice a week. He spent time in all the classes save for the infant room, but that didn't prevent him from knowing all the children, all the teachers and staff.

The center became his extended family. He got to know parents. When he went on vacation, he sent postcards, bought a few gifts.

In return, when his health failed, the center rallied behind him.

"He was awesome," Mrs. Deramus said. "He treated them like they were his own kids."

The funeral for Ronald George St. Romain is 11 a.m. Thursday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Atlanta. H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe chapel, is handling arrangements.

Mr. St. Romain of  Tucker died Saturday of cancer at Emory University Hospital. He was 72.

A New Orleans native, he graduated from St. Aloysius High and Loyola University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business.

In 1963, he transferred to Atlanta from New Orleans to work in the credit department for Johns Manville, a roofing company. He eventually hooked up with Container Corp. of America, a packaging manufacturer in Stone Mountain that later became Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.

He worked at Smurfit-Stone for 30 years. The company paid for him to study credit financial management at Harvard University. He eventually became regional credit manager.

In the early 1970s, he spent three years at a company plant in Carol Stream, Ill. When he and his wife returned to metro Atlanta, they settled in Tucker.

Mr. St. Romain met Joan, his wife of 44 years, at the Cathedral Club of Christ the King Catholic Church. He was standing alone. She said, "hi." His last name threw her.

"I had never heard ‘ St. Romain' before," his wife said. "I could not understand it. I think I had to ask 10 times before I got it."

An Army reservist, Mr. St. Romain loved to cook. Dishes from his native New Orleans, such as gumbo,  were staples. He whipped up magazine recipes, too.

"He would always add a secret ingredient," said his daughter, Lisa St. Romain of Roswell, "and he'd ask us to guess what it was."

Mr. St. Romain learned about The Elaine Clark Center while reading a news obituary. He decided to volunteer.

"He absolutely loved it," his wife said.

Additional survivors include another daughter, Laurie St. Romain of Alpharetta; a son, Bryan St. Romain of Roswell; a brother, Frank St. Romain of Mandeville, La; and two grandchildren.