Ronald Canal

Ron Canal was born on November 2, 1960 and the world was forever changed. He was born in Tyler, Texas; he was the fourth — three minutes older than his twin brother Don, he would want you to know — son of Joseph and Yvonne Canal, and brother to Mike, Joe, Bob, Don, and Frannie. Ron’s characteristics would last into adulthood, but were ever present growing up. He was hilarious, rambunctious, headstrong; he was always sure to have a crowd of adoring listeners surrounding him.

In his twenties, after seven years of college with no clear direction of what he wanted to do, Ron moved from Texas to New York City. It was there that he discovered his career in horticulture and planted roots in New York. After working for others in the gardening business, Ron branched out and created his own highly successful landscaping business, aptly named Canal Gardens. As part of his work, he curated, installed, and maintained the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium and Christmas dinosaur topiaries at the Museum of Natural History each year. Ron loved to create beautiful gardens within the New York cityscape, bringing nature to the concrete jungle.

After breaking many hearts, Ron met the love of his life, Tonee Ferringo. The two seemed meant for each other, with Tonee being the perfect balance for Ron’s headstrong attitude. Over the years, Ron and Tonee adopted, raised, and loved many dogs. Tonee continues to care for their two dachshunds, Zucchini and Pigeon.

Ron was a fan favorite among family and friends, making an incredible first impression with anyone he met. He was a natural entertainer, showing up to every event with a story that you wouldn’t want to miss. Get-togethers will be quieter and less entertaining now. Ron leaves behind a loving husband who meant the world to him and two dogs who were crazy about him, too.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Planned Parenthood (https://www.plannedparenthood.org) or Lambda Legal (https://lambdalegal.org).