Ron Wong, a professional photographer and regular contributor to CrappieNOW,
passed away following an illness on March 31, 2025.
The Passing of a Legend
by Larry Rea
Visit any crappie or catfishing event held in the Southeast, or a gathering of outdoor journalists and communicators and there is a good chance Ron Wong beat you there.
Ron and his camera went everywhere together, documenting the outdoor lives of many. His voice also resonated across the airwaves as a co-host with his great friend, Larry Rea, on the weekly “Outdoor with Larry Rea” radio show.
Ron left this world on March 31. His radio partner and dear friend, Larry Rea, shared these words with CrappieNOW about a great photographer, a great journalist and a great man:
Where do I start?
(As I write this) it has been almost two days since Ron Wong’s passing at Whitehaven Methodist Hospital and I am still devastated.
I can’t tell you how many calls, texts and emails I have received since Peanut Quon texted me Monday night with the news that Ron had passed away.
We were, as we liked to say on the radio, “brothers by another mother” for more than three decades, not just on the radio but as friends. He has been an anchor for Outdoors with Larry Rea, a twice a month co-host who was always willing to fill the gap.
It was only fitting that Ron’s final two segments on Outdoors with Larry Rea came via the telephone when we interviewed Ott DeFoe and Mark Davis about Major League Fishing’s 2025 REDCREST Championship. Ron didn’t feel well, but you could tell he loved to talking fishing.
Ott is one of more than 100 who have sent texts expressing the loss that all of us feel with Ron’s unexpected passing.
I could always count on Ron when I needed a guest from the fishing world on Outdoors with Larry Rea. More than likely, he even had photos of the guests, photos that he had taken. He was a master photographer, along with being the only two-time winner of the St. Jude Bass Classic.
This former saxophone player at Westwood High and the University of Memphis earlier this year learned that he would be inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame in August in Springfield, Mo. I’m so glad Garry Mason told Ron of this honor before he passed. I remember him saying how ‘humbled’ he was to join the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
You can count on me and Miriam being in Springfield for Ron’s induction. I imagine several Wongs and relatives will be there, too. After all, he always told me there were more Wong’s in the world than Smiths.
I’m wearing one of the many shirts Ron brought me back from one of his fishing journeys, whether it was the Brush Pile Fishing Academy, Bassmaster Classic or St. Jude Bass Classic. He loved to give. One of our friends, Kent Driscoll, mentioned to me that he was looking for photos of Ron, but all he could find were photos Ron took of Kent. That’s Ron Wong, right there.
Our prayers go out to Ron’s extended family. His sister, Debbie, flew in Tuesday from California. Yes, Ron was from the Delta, not the Mid-South Delta, but California’s delta. He was proud of his roots.
And one more thing, Ron was a master chef, especially when it came to his famous hushpuppies. Plus, he loved to give. His work with multiple Mid-South charities is well-known.
Yes, I get tears thinking about Ron and our friendship. He loved the Ole Miss Rebels, and he knew I loved the Arkansas Razorbacks. But most of all, he loved me, pure and simple and I am a better person for that love.
RIP, my friend, Ron Wong. Gone, but never forgotten.
CRAPPIENOW VIDEO TRIBUTE TO RON WONG
