PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers Athletics mourns the loss of
Ron Bainton, who passed away this week. A 1962 graduate of Rutgers College, Ron is survived by his wife, Pat. The couple have supported the Scarlet Knights for many years, including twice funding Bainton Field for the baseball program.
"Ron was a wonderful man. He was enormously passionate about Rutgers Athletics, especially baseball. Ron loved Scarlet Knight baseball," said Director of Athletics
Pat Hobbs. "He was a kind, generous man with a great humility about him. He was warm, caring, and always saw the best in people. We send our deepest condolences to his wife Pat and loved ones."
"Ron has been a very important part of Rutgers baseball for many years," said head baseball coach
Steve Owens. "He has been a wonderful supporter, an incredible fan and a close friend to all who have played and coached baseball here. I will miss our frequent conversations about the team, which Ron really enjoyed. His enthusiasm for our success was unmatched. We are extremely grateful for all that he has done and very proud that we can continue to play baseball on a field that bears his name. We would also like to send our deepest sympathy to his wife Pat during this very difficult time."
Ron and Pat contributed $1.25 million in 2006, the single largest one-time cash gift by a living donor to Rutgers Athletics at the time, to install a FieldTurf baseball playing field for the 2007 season. The surface lets the team play and practice on the field year-round without the worries of field maintenance, permitting for games in less-than-ideal weather circumstances, allowing for fewer adjustments to the student-athletes' schedules.
"Over the years, Rutgers has been a darn good team," Bainton said in 2006 upon the gift. "What Pat and I are trying to do with this gift is give them the opportunity to get to the highest level of Division I baseball."
In 2019, the Baintons came through again with funding for new FieldTurf, outfield fences and padding and dugout upgrades. The donation also allowed the softball program to lay down FieldTurf.
A native of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Bainton served 30 years in the Air Force, retiring in 1992 as a colonel, before moving into private financial consulting work. Bainton flourished at Rutgers, he believes, because of the influence of three professors: the history department's Richard McCormick and Warren Sussman, and then University President Mason Gross, who taught philosophy.
"They opened my horizons beyond what I thought possible," Bainton said in 2006.
The Baintons' contributions were also an integral part of the fundraising efforts for the Fred Hill Training Complex for baseball and softball. The indoor 22,500 square-foot facility and is equipped with state-of-the-art pitching machines, six batting cages, bullpen mounds and a full turf infield and opened in 2017.
The Baintons, who have lived in Nebraska in recent years, have long sponsored scholarships for Rutgers students who demonstrate academic merit and financial need over the years. Scarlet Society members, they were honored in 2015 with the prestigious 1869 Legacy Award for their lifetime impact on Rutgers Athletics. At the 2020 Leadoff Banquet, the Baintons were recognized once again with the Game Changer Award for the continued support of the program with the upgrades to Bainton Field.
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