R.I.P. Ron Komorowski

By Mike Drummond

It was a Saturday morning early this fall when the phone rang. Only one guy I know phones me before 10 a.m. on Saturdays – inventor and friend Ron Komorowski.

Sure enough, there on my iPhone was that trademark picture of Ron munching on a burger while hoisting a blue Yamaha Enduro 175 with his Handi-Straps. Damn, did he love his Handi-Straps – the Made in the U.S.A. harness that makes lifting heavy things easier. (I have a set hanging in my office.)

“Hey, Mike, howyadoin,” he’d say in his thick Jersey accent. Then he’d get right to the point. “What’s wrong with you guys over there at Edison Nation, letting [person who shall go nameless here] talk crap about you on the forum? That ain’t right.”

Damn, did he love Edison Nation. You’d have thought he was on the payroll.

We’d agree to disagree on the wisdom of unfettered speech, and the conversation typically would turn to news about his daughter, Jessica, and my daughter, Harper Rose. Damn, do we love our daughters.

I didn’t hear from him over Thanksgiving. I took that as a good sign he was enjoying the holiday with Jessica and making good on his vow to beat lung cancer. I was wrong.

Ron died at age 46 on Friday, Nov. 26, 2010.

We’re the same age. We quit smoking about the same time. Despite our disparate backgrounds, we shared a lot in common – namely a passion for all things inventing and concern for U.S. manufacturing. Damn, did he love his country.

I’m touched by the outpouring of sympathy expressed on Edison Nation and elsewhere in the digital ether, including kind words from those with whom he regularly sparred (you know who you are).

The last article Ron wrote for Inventors Digest appeared in the July 2010 edition, Stoking Ideas, Igniting Inventions – Just Say ‘No’ to Rejection. The piece embodies his indomitable spirit and unbridled passion. It begins:

“How long should we really push an invention before giving up and moving on to the next idea?

“I guess this is the age-old question dating back to when we started making fire. I can only imagine how many ways our hairy ancestors thought of ways to create fire. Who was it, then, who never quit rubbing two sticks together for half the day to ignite some sparks? Who was that thick-headed, crazy nut who didn’t give up, didn’t accept ‘no’ for an answer and kept rubbing the sticks together?

“Good man, I say.”

Good man, indeed.

Damn, we’re going to miss you, Ron.

P.S.

Today Ron’s cousin, Joe Scotti, shared with me the following interesting facts. With his permission, I’m reprinting them here:

Ron went though several “obsessions” throughout his life – a dedicating himself to each as passionately as he did with inventing. The first was basketball in his youth, practicing relentlessly for years, determined to make it in the NBA.

He was an avid fresh-water fisherman, with the biggest collection of fishing lures in the world!  We’ve so far uncovered 10 full, giant tackle boxes and counting …

He loved to sing, performing at karaoke venues throughout the central New Jersey area. He sang almost until the end of his life, even AFTER one of his lungs collapsed from the cancer.

He grew up with a younger brother, Steven, an artist, who was born with congenital heart disease and died at the age of 29 in 1995. Ron was very protective of his younger brother.

Ron himself has lived with cancer since in his early 20’s. He fought it for many years while working roof construction, (during which time he formulated the idea for Handi-Straps) until forced to have surgery in 2005, where doctors had to remove a kidney, bladder and prostrate gland. He lived like that until he was struck with a SECOND new cancer, this time within the lung.

His doctors were stumped that he lived as long as he did, at point telling him, “We don’t know what we can do next. You weren’t supposed to be alive this long.”

Has spent the past year with his daughter Jessica, partaking and sharing with her as many activities as possible, performing the task of, in his own words “making memories” for Jess to remember for the rest of her life.

Was the strongest and bravest human being I’ve ever known.

–      Joe Scotti