Ron Kash, longtime Edgewood educator whose name graces basketball court, dies at 78

Ron Kash, who served numerous roles in the Edgewood City School District, died Jan. 12. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Ron Kash, who served numerous roles in the Edgewood City School District, died Jan. 12. SUBMITTED PHOTO

A man who dedicated his professional career to the Edgewood City School District has died.

Ron Kash, who served as the school’s first boys basketball coach, counselor, social studies teacher, principal and superintendent, died Jan. 12 at Atrium Medical Center. He was 78.

Kash was a longtime administrator and graduated from Trenton High School in 1960. Edgewood opened in 1970 when Trenton combined with Shiloh (Wayne Township and Seven Mile had previously merged to become Shiloh).

He retired as Edgewood’s superintendent in 1994. He spent most of his career in various positions throughout the Edgewood district, though he did move to Madison for two years and was the athletic director there before EHS opened.

A former social studies teacher, Kash was Edgewood’s varsity head coach in the first two years of the school and was later the head coach at Miami University Middletown for one season.

In 2016, the district named the basketball court “Ron Kash Court.”

“Everybody kept it a secret for a while,” Kash said at the time. “They did a good job of that. I appreciate all the efforts on a lot of people’s part. I love the idea of being honored — I’m glad somebody cares enough to do that — but I don’t know if I deserve this. I’ve been around a long time and been pretty loyal to the district, but there’s been a lot of other people who have done the same thing.”

On its website, the district called Kash “a legendary leader” in the Edgewood community.

John Thomas, the district’s business manager and boys basketball coach, met Kash more than 50 years ago. Thomas was in the fifth grade, and Kash was running the basketball program.

“He’s the man,” said Thomas, 63. “He had a love and passion for the community. What he did for this district is beyond words. In all the time I knew him, I never heard anyone say one bad word about him, and if they did, they were wrong.”

Following his retirement from Edgewood, Kash worked as a Realtor with Woodlan Realtors in Middletown. He was a member of Mount Olivet Presbyterian Church.

He’s survived by his wife, Sandy (Lindsay) Kash; daughters, Erin (Tim) Allen and Casey (Ed) Combs; and grandchildren, Ethan, Emma, Jacob, Lizzy, Jonah and Ella.

Funeral services were held Thursday.

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