George "Ronnie" Ronald Pope

George Ronald “Ronnie” Pope, 70, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, entered into his eternal rest on April 11, 2025, peacefully at home surrounded by his family.

Ronnie was born on November 6, 1954, in Macon, Georgia. Ron graduated from Wrens High School in 1973, where he lettered in baseball and football. He hit the first home run in Colts history in April of 1971 and was also an honorable mention all-state offensive tackle in the state of Georgia in 1973. Ron attended Georgia Tech, where he pursued a degree in engineering and was a brother of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He moved from Atlanta, GA, to Columbia, SC, in 1983 to work at Bankers Trust. Shortly thereafter, he met the love of his life and wife of 39 years, Renee. After Bankers Trust, Ron was a co-owner of Electronic Merchant Services, a credit card processing company. Following his time there, he and Renee transitioned into roles as financial consultants.

Ron served as a deacon at North Trenholm Baptist Church before the family moved from Columbia, SC, to Aiken, SC, in 2001. In Aiken, Ron, Renee, and Haley were active members of Cedar Creek Church. Ron was a realtor with Meybohm Real Estate and served as President of the Aiken Board of Realtors in 2008. Shortly after, Ron moved to Edward Jones as a financial advisor, where he finished out his career.  Ron managed a branch in Evans, GA before moving to the Aiken, SC branch.  Ron loved finance and stock market strategy and many of his clients became close friends.  In November of 2020, Ron and Renee relocated to Fort Lauderdale, FL to be closer to Haley and Jay and to welcome their granddaughter, Millie James. Ron stayed on with Edward Jones and became a remote branch manager in short-term stints all over the country.  During this phase, he traveled across the country, gaining unique experiences like seeing the Grand Canyon and attending his first NFL draft in Kansas City. Edward Jones is a family first company and was especially wonderful to Ron over the past six months.

He was most at ease in the kitchen, as cooking was one of his quiet pleasures—a way he showed love and care without needing words. A devout Carolina Gamecock football fan, he didn’t miss a home game for almost 15 seasons. Ron lived a life marked by devotion to his family and his faith. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Ron is survived by his loving wife, Renee Pope; their daughter, Haley (Jay) Weigle; his cherished granddaughter, Millie James; bonus daughter, Stephanie Weigle; his brothers, Ken (Sheila) Pope and Scott (Sandy) Pope; and his nieces and nephews, Katelyn (Davis) DiNardo, Christian (Taylor) Pope, and great-nephew Stetson; Chandler and Chesney Pope; and a wide circle of family, friends, and neighbors who will miss him dearly. He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Pope, and his father, George Pope.

Heartfelt thanks and appreciation are expressed to the staff of Total Heart at Memorial Hospital, especially Tami Ward, NP, as well as Dr. Brian Raitzin, Dr. Howard Berlin, Dr. Abdur Baig, and DaVita Dialysis for the compassionate, loving care given to Ron.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, April 18th at 1 p.m. at Wrens Baptist Church, with Scott Pope and Pastor Phillip Lee presiding. A visitation will be held at James Funeral Home at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 17th.

Flowers are welcome, or donations may be made in Ron Pope’s honor to The Aiken Women’s Heart Board in Aiken, SC. The Aiken Women’s Heart Board (AWHB) was founded in 1968 by a group of women in Aiken, SC, determined to save and improve the lives of others, with the purpose of raising funds to support the American Heart Association and its mission to fight and cure cardiovascular disease. Aiken Women’s Heart Board: https://awhb.org/about.html