Ronnie W. Pernell

Ronnie was born in High Point, North Carolina on November 7th, 1941, to father Henry Morton Pernell and mother Pearl Elizabeth Pernell. Ronnie grew up in High Point and graduated from High Point High School in 1959.  He then attended Western Carolina University where he majored in Chemistry. More importantly, this is where he met a young woman named Dianna Calloway. The absolute love of his life… he and Dianna would marry in 1963 and remain together until her death in 2022.

Always a beach kid at heart, Ronnie moved his family to Kure Beach, North Carolina in 1972 to become owner and operator of the Moran Motel, which had been in the family for over 20 years. Over the next four decades, Ronnie and Dianna made the Moran Motel a second home for thousands of guests, many of which chose to return every year for their summer vacations.  Ronnie and Dianna touched the lives of visitors from across the state of North Carolina to around the world with their kindness, humor, and warmth.  Despite the demands and long hours required to successfully operate a motel, Ronnie always made time for his family, children, and friends.

Ronnie is survived by his three children Gregory, Melinda, and David; and six grandchildren – Allison, Trenton, Sarah, Spencer, Jason, and Fisher.