Dr. Ronald Paton Lane Obituary (1937

Dr. Ronald Paton Lane, 87, of Griffin, died Thursday, September 18, 2025, at Barclay House Memory Care of Carrollton. Dr. Lane was born, October 11, 1937, in Butts County, to the late Robert Homer Lane and Ada Margaret Weaver Lane. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, William Dean Lane. Dr. Lane was a 1955 graduate of Jackson High School. After graduation he planned to be a farmer, but after several years he decided to go to college. In 1961 he graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and then the University of Georgia where he received a BS degree in 1963 and a Master’s degree in Horticulture in 1964. He also attended Michigan State University where he earned a PhD in Horticulture in 1968. He was a member of the Alpha Zeta Honor Fraternity and the Gamma Sigma Delta, an agricultural honor society. After graduating from Michigan State University, he began working in the Horticulture Department of the University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station in Griffin where he spent his entire professional career until retirement in June of 1997. Dr. Lane was a noted authority on muscadine grapes. He authored numerous scientific articles including several on grape cultures. He developed nine muscadine varieties, the Spalding Pear and the Dempsey Pepper. His research in the muscadine area resulted in the release of the “Lane” variety by Dr. Patrick J. Conner who continued research with muscadines in Tifton, GA University of Georgia Experiment Station after Dr. Lane’s retirement. Dr. Lane was a member of the American Society for Horticulture Science and the Georgia Horticulture Society. Dr. Lane was a member of Griffin First Baptist Church since 1968 where he served as deacon and was a member of the Russell Sunday School Class. He was a former member of the Griffin Kiwanis Club for thirty-seven years where he served as President from 1984-1985. In 1997 he received the George F. Hixon Fellowship award sponsored by Kiwanis International. He served a ten year enlistment in the Georgia Army National Guard. He was also an active worker in Habitat for Humanity and went on numerous church mission trips. Surviving in addition to his wife of sixty-four years Betty Ann Guest Lane are daughters, Cindy Cantrell and husband Ted and Sheryl Wallace and husband Tim; grandchildren, Morgan Brooke Cantrell and Cody Bennett; Payton Leigh Bellis and husband David, Matthew Alan Wallace and Mary Katherine Hill and husband Kyle; great-grandson, Banks Hill and one due in December. Funeral services for Dr. Ronald Paton Lane will be conducted Friday, September 26, 2025, at 1:00 PM from the Chapel of Haisten McCullough Funeral Home with Mr. Rudy Mangham officiating. Burial will follow in Towaliga Baptist Church Cemetery in Jackson. The family will receive friends Friday from 12:00 PM until the service hour at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 474, Memphis, TN 38101-9958 or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 North Michigan Avenue, 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601. The family would like to thank Janice Dukes and Schwanda Mayes for their exceptional in-home care. Also, the Barclay House Memory Care Staff and Sacred Journey Hospice for their amazing care. For online condolences please visit www.haistenmcculloughfuneralhome.com. Haisten McCullough Funeral Home, 1155 Everee Inn Road, Griffin is in charge of arrangements.