Obituary of Ronald RJ Laffins

Ronald James Laffins Jr, 62, was born and raised in Chico, CA. He passed away after an almost two year battle with ALS. RJ was born on November 11, 1960 at Enloe and left this world peacefully at the very same hospital on May 9, 2023. RJ attended local schools from Hooker Oak and Parkview Elementary to Chico Junior High School and graduated from Chico Senior High School Class of 1979. He grew up at Butte Creek Country club playing golf, winning junior tournaments, sneaking out the golf cart and standing in the creeks and ponds collecting many a lost golf balls. He played for Chico Senior High as well as San Jose State University and Butte College. RJ’s love of music started young, much to his family and neighbor’s chagrin, with a drum set. It wasn’t uncommon to see a set of drumsticks in his hands, beating away on tables, steering wheels, or anything else he could find. He loved music so much that he started DJ’ing in college and continued spreading his joy of music (preferably 70s funk). For the past couple years he had a radio show titled RJ’s Vinyl Mix on local station KZFR. His last gigs were a packed house at the Golden Beaver Distillery and The Empire Club. After San Jose State, RJ settled back in Chico in 1988 and worked at Chuck Patterson for a number of years before transitioning to the Real Estate and Mortgage industry. Around that time, RJ began his racing years at The Silver Dollar Speedway racing stock and modified cars. He won many dirt track races with his beloved Number 47. Always looking for another way to compete, RJ found his most recent love of competition with cycling and joined the Chico Masters Cycling Team (later named Chico Cycling Team) in 2015. He competed in 91 races, and finished on the podium several times. His cycling team became family and notably RJ might have been one of the tallest cyclists that anyone has ever seen. Through it all, golf was his #1 sport and up until his diagnosis he continued to crush the ball off the tee. He won many long drive contests including the Amateur Long Drive Champion in 2021 and he qualified for the National Finals of the 2021 Extreme Long Drive Championship in Chicago with a drive of 373 yards. RJ was a lifelong Bay Area super sports fan of the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors. You could find him at Levi Stadium or Oracle Park often decked out in his jerseys. Some of his favorite things to do outside of golf, cycling and music were lounging by the pool in Cabo San Lucas, fishing in Alaska, playing golf in Maui and walking his dogs anywhere. RJ is survived by his wife of 23 years, Brandi Laffins, his mother Marilyn Brownfield and Stepfather Robert Brownfield, his father Ronald Laffins Sr., Stepmother Claudine Laffins, his sisters, Lisa Laffins Beucler (Chris) and Julie Laffins Erich (Steve), and nieces Montana Beucler, Ella Erich, Amelia Erich and 2 nephews Nick Beucler, Gus Erich. His in-laws Charles and Loretta Carroll, and his beloved fur babies Coco and Ginger. The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to RJ’s in-laws Chuck and Kathy Carroll, Todd And Yvonne Carroll, dear friends Mike Castaldo, Jeff Galland and Tracy Bullard. They would also like to thank the countless family, friends, neighbors, and medical professionals who loved and supported RJ over the last two years. RJ’s Final Mix will be held at Butte Creek Country Club from 5-8pm on Thursday, June 8, 2023. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to The ALS Association, Sacramento https://donate.sac.als.org/give/421362/#!/donation/checkout Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.brusiefh.com