NEWPORT - Ronald Woodvine, 88, died December 11, 2020 at a Bangor health care facility after a period of failing health. He was born September 11, 1932 in Rothwell, Yorkshire, England, a son of Bertram and Beatrice Woodvine. He received his primary education at Low Road Elementary School and Leeds Central High School before joining the Royal Air Force in 1950 to become an air wireless technician. After discharge in 1955, he was employed at Leeds University as an electronics technician in the Chemistry department while studying Electrical engineering at Leeds College of Technology. During this period he married Marion French, a union that resulted in 2 children Andre and Michelle. In the early 60's, after graduating with Distinction in Applied Math, Thermodynamics and Electronics, Ron joined the Marconi Company and became the Standards and Calibration supervisor at their research labs in Great Baddow, Essex. He then was recruited by Texas Instruments Ltd. to create and run their standards laboratory in Bedford, England. He began to work with engineers developing integrated circuits, the forerunners of the modern computer chip. He became a project engineer working on microchips and represented the company at National Standards Committee meetings. In 1967, Ron was recruited by Signetics Corporation in Sunnyvale, CA to become a project engineer on their new TTL Integrated Circuit product line. He was asked by the company to move to Scotland in 1969 to work on the startup and operation of a new semiconductor plant in Linlithgow, Scotland as Engineering Manager. He recruited, trained and managed the Engineering and Quality Assurance staff at the new plant. Returning to California in 1972, he was first Product Engineering Manager, and later Operations manager of the new line as Signetics was supplying a major portion of the circuits shipped to the burgeoning computer industry, around a million circuits a month. His leisure time was occupied with soccer, either playing or coaching. He was a coach in the American Youth Soccer organization, became division manager and later district commissioner with 100 teams of 15 children ranging in age from 6 to 16. He also played with the San Jose Aftershocks in the San Jose Industrial Soccer League. Ron was recruited by Intel Corporation in 1976 to become managing director of a new semiconductor assembly plant being built in Barbados. This new challenge involved the MOS technology in a new environment with total responsibility. Ron recruited, trained and operated the plant reaching an employment of 550 people in 2 shifts. During his tenure the plant was the most productive of Intel's 4 worldwide assembly plants. In Barbados he formed the Intel Soccer team as player/manager and enjoyed kicking the ball around on Saturday mornings with local teams. In 1980, he returned alone to Signetics Corporation in CA, leaving his now ex-wife and 2 children in Barbados. He was asked to move to Orem, Utah to start a new semiconductor wafer fabrication and testing facility using the latest silicon wafer processing technology. Here he had a chance to try new management techniques. After studying works on problem solving, team management and problem solving by authors Thomas Gilbert, Abraham Maslow, and others, he trained his staff and created a new management philosophy he called Transparent Management. Along with new equipment and facilities the wafer fabrication operation was the most productive at that time. After working in New York state and Pennsylvania, Ron became manager of the Adams Russell microwave semiconductor plant in Bangor in 1986. Anzac, as it was called, was a small plant needing facility, equipment and management improvements. As desktop computers became more practical Ron created a production and material control program to help manage work flow. He named his program Mozart. It became the standard for the divisions production control. He also carried out the training programs he had developed in Utah and became an active member of the Maine Science and Technology Commission. During this hectic time, Ron met his future wife Charlene and moved into their home in Newport along with two of his four step children. Ultimately, Ron became operations manager for Adams Russell, dividing his time between Bangor and Boston each week. Adams Russell was purchased in 1992 and they decided to close the Bangor plant. Ron retired rather than relocate to Boston and settled down mowing his lawn, playing with his computers and reading everything he could on mathematics, quantum theory and the Big Bang. Ron Woodvine had a good life. He was one of the founders of the modern computer industry. He gave many people a meaningful career, treated people fairly and had an inquiring mind that never stopped until the end. He loved music, helped create two wonderful people (Andre and Michelle), loved his wife Charlene and their children and grandchildren beyond measure. In addition to his wife of Newport, he is survived by a son, Andre and wife Lou of Barbados; a daughter, Michelle Woodvine and life partner Gary Zulianni of Toronto, Ontario; 4 grandchildren, Liam, Aiden, Thomas and Owen; 4 step children, Jennifer Whitney of China (ME), Douglas Whitney of Waterville, Jeffry Whitney of Etna and David Whitney of Sebec; 5 step grandchildren; 2 step great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sister Barbara Haddon of New Zealand. Donations in his memory may be made to the Newport CulturalCenter,154 Main Street, Newport, ME 04953. Arrangements are by Crosby & Neal, Newport.