Ronald B. Minson, MD, died in Denver, Colorado, on September 1, 2023. He is survived by his beloved wife and partner of forty years, Kate OBrien-Minson, his four children: Adrienne Kubes (Tim), Christopher Minson (Julie) , Erica Dent (Ron) and Andrea Stoker (Walt), his sister, Kaye Guthrie, and former wife, Nan Minson. He cherished each of his grandchildren and took great joy in watching the unfolding of their lives.
Dr. Minson’s early years were filled with a love of classical music, chess, tennis and studies, a reflection of the love of knowledge that was a lifelong companion. At the age of 14, as a freshman in high school, he won an award for the Air Force-Kiwanis International Essay contest and was flown to Washington, DC, becoming “Honorary Major Commander” of the USAF Command for a brief period of time on the 23rd of November, 1953. He was president of the Math Club, president of the Science Club, a member of Arizona Boys’ State, member of the Tennis Team, served as a lifeguard and swim instructor to children of all ages and was recognized by the Elks and American Legion for his leadership skills. He was highly recommended by many local business and civic organizations for college acceptance. His studying paid off as he received early acceptance to UCLA Medical School while attending the University of Arizona.
His general medical background included practicing as a family physician and serving as Medical Director of the Westside Neighborhood Health Center, an early model to deliver health care to underserved populations. After residency at UC Health in Denver, he was board-certified in Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Minson served as Chief of Psychiatry for Presbyterian Medical Center and Director of Behavioral Sciences at Mercy Hospital in Denver while maintaining a private clinical practice.
Known as Ron, or Dr. Ron by many, he was proud of the opportunity to be interviewed by Sargent Shriver as he entered the Peace Corps, where he served two years as a physician to the volunteers in Costa Rica. Ron was known for having an adventurous heart, backed by determination and grit. During surgery residency, he met his lifelong friend and fellow adventurer, Louden Kiracofe, MD (retired). They climbed mountains in the early days of technical rock climbing and mountaineering in both summer and winter. This included something that made a lot of people gasp – spending nights in a snow cave – riding out severe storms while sheltered beneath the snow. He continued his pursuit of adventure, climbing Mt. Rainier for his 70th birthday and Mt. Olympus the following year with his son, Chris. He went from burgeoning cyclist to complete Ride the Rockies with the help of a dear friend in only three months at the age of 75, with another successful ride the following year.
Lover of classical music, Ron began taking piano lessons at the age of 42, something he maintained for many years. Little did he know that the therapeutic application of classical music would lead to his legacy work. He devoted the last 30 years of his professional life to a different type of adventure – developing an unconventional approach to help those with learning disabilities, attention issues, head injury, trauma and much more, resulting in thousands of professionals around the world carrying on the work to which he was so devoted.
A lover of adventure, coffee, chocolate, the Hispanic culture, and, needless to say, his precious Cavalier, Keelie, he will be remembered by those who knew him, studied with him, and loved him for his kind heart and breadth of knowledge. Ever the spiritual seeker, he studied with Master Teachers throughout his life, often at desert and mountain retreats. He discussed spiritual growth with his friend, Ram Dass, while sitting under a tree at Lama Foundation, and held firmly, until the very end, his desire to understand the mysteries of Life. He is dearly missed by people around the world.
Ron will surely be missed by many and deeply missed by me. He was my inspiration for my Tomatis studies and for becoming certified as an iLs advanced practitioner. We met in Denver at a conference on music therapy through the late Don Campbell when I gave Ron my “Infinite Voice” CD. I was surprised and delighted when he called me a few weeks later to say how much he was enjoying my classical crossover music and as he put it, my “angelic, shiny” voice. No one had ever described it like that but that was Ron in his uniqueness. My delight was extended when he invited me to speak at the Dynamic Listening Conference as it was called that year, to lead a segment of the day’s seminars. In my case, on singing, for the attendees with my book with 7 instructional CDS titled “Tune Your Voice: Singing and Your Mind’s Musical Ear.” Ron was such a dear sweet soul whose spiritual depth was matched by his high intelligence and eagerness to help others. I got to know him more as I was personally trained in iLs by him and as he supported my work using iLs to help singers, young and old, develop their ear and voice with the help of the iLs programs. He was truly a wonder of a human being and his living example of kindness has permeated both my work and my students and clients who benefitted from it. My sincerest condolences to Kate and to his family for such a great loss. May he rest in peace as his legacy lives on.
I will forever remember your gift of chocolate strawberries to all the female retreat participants—such a sweet gesture on Valentines Day.
You and your kindness will be missed, Ron. May you next journey be the most amazing yet.
I have such great memories with Dr Ron and all he brought to training the team. It was my absolute pleasure to learn from the best.
Very nice. He will be missed
I was sorry to see that Ron had passed. He was a most interesting man. As a lawyer, I met him many years ago. Condolences to his family.
Ron, I will be forever grateful for knowing you & Kate and for our time spent together over the past 20 years. You are such a brilliant, wise, gentle and kind teacher as well as Physician. My life changed so much since iLs entered it and the knowledge I was able to bring to healing and teaching others has been such a gift. So lucky to call you a dear friend. You will be missed but we will continue to do your work here on earth until we meet again! I still use the funny term that you created & shared in a story once…”GORK” translated “ God only really knows”. I think of you every time I use it, with a smile. Much love to you Kate. So sorry I’m unable to make it to Denver for the celebration… ????????????
Blessings on your way, brother Ron! Thank you for your light, your heart, your keen mind, and your loving smile.
May the path ever open upward, and may Soul ever shine the way.
What a beautiful gathering of memories. I met Ron a few years ago and wasn’t aware of all of his earlier adventures! I’m so glad I was able to spend time with him. He is a shining light!
Much love and many blessings to you Kate and to his extended family.
To Ron: May the Universe open the way before you with beauty and utter splendor. May your journey into the deepest mysteries of life continue to unfold and grace your way “on the other side.”
To Ron’s family: May you be comforted in this time of loss by your fondest memories of Ron. As you revisit special interactions, precious instances and remarkable times, may you recall the special qualities he infused into your individual relationships with him. Ron cared deeply for so many people.
Although I only met Ron briefly his sudden departure has given us reason to pause and reflect, to appreciate all he has given and accomplished. May his spirit live on in love and light.
Dear Ron, Thank you for your guidance in our time in pod meetings. Thank you for sharing your experience with Divine Mother, and how you touch to her presence in your thoughts and experiences. You inspired me to be disciplined and work hard towards enlightenment and to serve well. Master DK’s is always there which ever relm we touch. In his forever loving, nurturing, protection is always there with you.
Wish you much love and light in your way,
Sree
Dear Ron,
I am eternally grateful for all the memories, teaching and mentoring over these 22 years you have shared. You inspired me with passion when you developed your first DLS machines. They added so much to the development of Project CHILLD and to my own personal growth. I hold dear all our conversations filled with wisdom, encouragement and direction. I continue to draw everyday on the lessons I have cherished from you. I also hold dear your friendship sharing a meal, good wine and chocolate. There could never be enough of those times but each one left my brain stimulated and my heart full.
Dear Kate you are a dear friend and it always feels like no time passes yet today I realize how much has. I hold you in my heart and know I am thinking of you. May your beautiful strong heart give you space and blessings from the energy you and Ton always shared so generously. I will always remember and often share a saying Ron had. You can’t make a flower grow by pulling on it. I know he meant it as we work with clients but I have been saying it for a few weeks now. I think it to be true in loss. Much love Kate and Ron.
We are blessed and honored to have known Ron these 20 years. His leadership developing the portable auditory training system enabled us to help so many more kids (and their parents) at a distance. In addition, we are deeply moved by his dedication to learning piano, starting in his 40s! Music is an integral part of our lives, Paul as a singer, me on piano. We would have loved more opportunities to learn from Ron, but thankful for those we had. We miss him already and will never forget him.
Below is a link to Paul singing the Lord’s Prayer dedicated to the memory of Ron:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/neuzdanqsm3u2x2b3t9a9/Lords-Prayer-Malotte.mp3?rlkey=4rn1zrnygvm5zl3ibith27y30&dl=0
Much love to Kate and family from Larry & Paul
Dearest Ron… I think of the light emanating from his smile. His heart and intellect was as bright and light-filled as that smile. Ron was my first and most influential mentor in the sound therapy world; he generously shared his knowledge, insight, passion, and vast experience with students…. those who came to the work honestly and with serious intent 🙂 Most importantly I learned from Ron not to shy away from deep dive cognitive thought and analysis, but rather to cultivate that state as an important partner to compassion and empathy. Whether it was the analysis of the peaberry coffee bean or the cingulate gyrus, his laser-like focus and attention to detail was contagious and inspiring. Ron’s ability to oscillate between states of joy and humor, and serious contemplation of another’s suffering, reflected his beautiful and graceful flexibility of thought and feeling. Thank you Ron and your very significant life partner Kate for updating and enlivening Dr. Tomatis’ sound therapy work, in order to bring it to so many others as the decades passed. All my love to Ron and Kate.
I can attest to Ron’s authenticity and desire to help. We were in a spiritual group together and he named me the “Queen of Negativity.” Wasn’t really what I was expecting from him, to say the least. I was angry and hurt and I felt deeply misunderstood. After a while, I got to where, I think, I could understand his point of view. I didn’t fully accept it, I don’t think; but I did take it to heart and hopefully became at least a less negative person. Thank you Ron and Kate for all the love and blessings you have and will bring to our world. You are both the standard bearers for Love on Earth.
Ron will keep a special space in my heart. My meeting with him and Kate, and the whole community they created, changed my life both personally and professionally. His legacy will keep us moving forward towards a better world expressing more compassion and empathy.
You will be deeply missed Ron.
My condolences to Kate and his loved ones. I’m there in thoughts as you celebrate Ron’s life.
Gwen Roscoe
France
Ron and I first met at the Denver Tennis Club in 1992 in a friendly doubles match. We shared that passion as well as cycling, hiking, climbing, good food, and a passion for life in Colorado for the next 30 years. I also had the opportunity to do a Tomatis Listening program under his guidance early on and starting in 1997 worked with Ron and Kate at the Center for InnerChange and then iLs.
My wife, Jennifer and I shared lobster on New Year’s Eve, and picnic dinners in our back yard with Ron and Kate. We babysat Keelie when she was a little puppy and watched her carefully take, one by one, all the dog toys from our dog’s basket. I have so many wonderful memories of the special times we shared! Ron and Kate, you have enriched our lives. We are so grateful.
Kate, Adrienne, Chris, Erica and Andrea – Ron was so proud of and full of love for all of you and so loved sharing stories about your most recent adventures and triumphs. It was always a treat to hear about them. Know that you brought enormous joy to him.
Ron was always a wordsmith and a word that comes to mind as I wish him well on his new journey is bittersweet. Losing him is a bitter pill to swallow. The memories are so sweet. We mourn Ron’s loss as we continue to live sweet lives as he would want.
Ron was a magnificent mentor with a kind and compassionate heart and a GREAT sense of humor. The planet has lost a wondrous soul. Much love to Kate and family as you walk through this transition.
It was only a few short years that I knew Dr. Ron, but it was his warmth, generosity, astuteness, and analysis that moved our work forward with those living with Parkinson’s disease and veterans. Thank goodness for his interest in music and the brain! A light indeed!
It is with gratitude that I salute Doc. To me he represented:
compassion poured out,
curiosity always pricked,
joyful dives into knowledge
loving the wonder of connecting the dots,
Ingeniously making connections between brain and body,
breathing life into dry bones of routine treatments and philosophies,
sparkling eyes of excitement with children finding “home” in their bodies,
pressing and lurching forward always seeking for “more”
A pied piper excitedly leading and attentive to bringing the multitudes along.
always throwing bread crumbs to guide those who were missing the way
thoughtful and genuine care for others-attracting the best qualities in each of us
A Father of sound, digging, growing and searching for more nuggets of wisdom
Awe and inspiration for every profession that wanted to serve
Gratitude for every single family that pursues change; for every child from the womb to adulthood because “You can never make a flower growing by pulling.”
His knowledge was amazing, but his “person” was radiant and unforgettable.
Dear Kate,
What a great loss in your life and for so many others. What a wonderful soul. Beautiful love story of you and Dr. Minson, I never knew I could call him Dr. Ron. I learned so much from Dr. Minson, not only about iLs but about life. He has had a huge influence on me and my children are way better off because of what I learned from him.
One strategy I learned from Dr. Minson was to give kids a handicap when playing games. I have memories of playing checkers with my clients, while they listened to the “modulated music”, we played hard and their confidence soared as they beat my socks off.
I’ll remember Dr. Minson with great fondness for his wisdom, kindnesses, and for all I learned from him about Auditory Intervention and for the wonderful way he played the piano.
I am a better person because of Dr. Minson’s Great Soul.
Tons of Love.
Liz Erickson
Dr Minson helped my son, Rob, who was diagnosed with A.D.D. Finding the Centre for Inner Change was like finding a sparkling diamond! He told me in his career he had never seen a more definitive case of A.D.D. It was as if a boulder had been taken off my shoulders. I loved my son so much, but he was so very difficult! Dr. Minson gave me such encouragement telling me that whatever I had been doing saved my son from addiction and a life of corruption that would eventually put my son in prison. Dr. Minson and his beautiful wife, Kate helped me as much as they helped my son. I’m Eternally grateful for all we learned in those 6 weeks.
God rest your soul!
Dr. Minion words can not express how much you helped me in becoming the man I am today. Everything we did at your clinic has helped me overcome so many things with my disability that words struggle to explain the gratitude i feel towards you. I regret that I could not tell you this directly but I want you know that everything you have done for me and my family has gotten me so far in life that without you I absolutely wouldn’t be where I am in life today. The Curtis family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts and you will always be remembered and revered by this family. Thank you Dr. Minson, thank you.