Fifty years in one career is nearly unheard of these days, but for Ronnie Marsh, it’s just another day in a job he loves.

Marsh spent years working as a store manager for the original Food Town, but that’s not the career he’s dedicated most of his life to. Instead, it’s donning the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office uniform that has held his heart for 50 years as of Sept. 10.

He started in law enforcement, in 1974, and right now, he is currently the longest serving deputy in RCSO. In fact, Sheriff Travis Allen said Marsh may not realize it, but he’s third in line if anything happens to him.

“If (Chief Deputy Jason) Owens and I go out in a car together and get killed, guess who becomes sheriff until the next election?” Allen asked. “It’s the deputy with the longest seniority, which is Ronnie.”

That is not, however, what Marsh is interested in. He loves the part-time hours, even though there is no pay for him at this point, it’s now volunteer, and he loves the work he puts in these days at Rowan Superior Court. Anytime you walk into the front door of the court, you could be greeted by Marsh, who often mans the metal detector at the entry.

“He’s the kindest man, but he can be stern when he needs to be,” said Allen. “He’s probably the perfect mixture. We have other people that have been here for quite a few years, but no one can touch Ronnie.”

And it’s truly a family affair. His two daughters work in the courthouse, and his late son, William “Billy” Marsh, was a master deputy until his death in October of 2021. Billy’s name is on the memorial line of duty wall outside the courthouse, as is the senior Walsh’ late K-9, Bandit.

“I got my own K-9 partner when I was a lieutenant, paid for him and his training myself,” Marsh said. Bandit was a Belgian Malinois who was on the job for 8 years before Marsh retired him.

“He wasn’t trained to bite, but twice he growled at a kid, and I knew it was time to step him down before it went bad, but he was my partner. Everywhere I went, he went.” Bandit died at 16 and Marsh said it was the hardest decision he has ever made.

As if losing his only son and canine partner were not enough, a year after his son died, Marsh lost his wife, Bonnie.

And yet, as Allen said, “he is the perfect example of how you carry on, because Ronnie has been through a lot of diversity, and yet he just gets up and continues to put one foot in front of the other.”

Marsh has moments when the sadness shows, but his overall attitude and approach to life is positive and often humorous.

He was willing to share the story of the time he used pepper spray during a dispute, even though it didn’t seem funny until later. He and another deputy, Mike Dixon, were on hand to help a father and son who were in the middle of a difficult situation. The father was evicting the son.

“Everything was going fine, we were even helping pack some clothes,” said Marsh. “All of a sudden, the son picked up the father and threw him on the ground, so hard we could feel the concrete vibrate.” Marsh said Dixon went to help the father while he tried to get a handle on the son. “I had one handcuff on him, and I had the pepper spray out because he was bigger than me.” Dixon saw he was having trouble and came to help, ending up tackling both Marsh and the son. And the pepper spray went off, dousing all three of them.

“We called for help, because we needed it, couldn’t see anything, eyes watering, noses running, it was a mess, and of course who shows up? My son,” said Marsh. The father sustained serious injuries so it was not a laughing matter at the time, but as he got a bit of distance, Marsh could laugh about it. And as he notes, his fellow deputies will never let him forget it.

But he has a genuine fondness for his coworkers that shows.

“When you work in this field, you build strong bonds, and you become like family,” he said. And it is reflected in how those who have worked with him talk about him.

Remove featured imageMajor John Sifford, who retired from RCSO a year ago but who still works part time, had nothing but good things to say about Marsh.

“Ronnie could always be depended on to assist wherever he was needed,” said Sifford. “His work ethic and determination to do the right thing have always been a model for all of us to follow.”

And it isn’t just his coworkers that think the world of him.

Ronnie Smith, of Food Town and Food Lion family and a well known advocate for veterans and a supporter of numerous community organizations, grew up with Marsh and said “there’s no finer individual on this earth. He is as close as you can get to a brother to me, and I can’t say enough good things about him.” Smith said Marsh and his twin brother, Donnie, will always be family to him, and the love in his voice is clear.

Marsh has had a number of assignments during his tenure. He spent many years providing security at Dan Nicholas Park and for almost two years, he was the dedicated driver for Elizabeth Dole while she ran for the Senate.

“I traveled to 81 or 82 counties with her out of 100, and at one time I was responsible for four cell phones,” he said. There were seven people who worked with her, Marsh and six others from Washington. Marsh is immensely proud of the work he did with Dole, although he said at times it could be tedious, because he often stayed with her vehicle to be sure no one got into it and caused any damage or problems.

Marsh says he will finish out this year, then decide what might happen next, but Allen says “he’s said that for years.” He hopes Marsh will stay.

Meanwhile, Marsh said his daughter-in-law Nicole has remained close and his granddaughter, just one when Billy died, reminds him of his son and he is grateful for the closeness.

“I hope she remarries,” he said, wistfully. “But I hope she stays close to me, too.”

Jay Davis and Dixon, both friends of Billy’s, have tattoos that match one on Marsh’s forearm, and the three gather each October to celebrate Billy’s life.

“I’ve been a very fortunate man, from my time with Food Town to my time with the department, and my family really is here,” he said. “Not just my kids but these people I work with.” He has called the Smith family, Ralph Ketner, Elizabeth Dole, numerous judges and attorneys, friends, and he gathers with former Food Town coworkers monthly to have lunch and catch up. He has worked under five different sheriffs and has held several different ranks.

Is it time to retire? Marsh is thinking about it, but then again, he’s thinking maybe not.

“This job is a part of who he is,” said Allen. “This is where he belongs.”