# Ronald Joseph > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ronald_Joseph > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ronald_Joseph.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Joseph > Source revision: 1338706535 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the artist, see [Ronald Joseph (artist)](/source/Ronald_Joseph_(artist)). **Ronald Joseph** (October 9, 1944 – January 20, 2026) was an American [pair skater](/source/Pair_skating) who competed with his sister, [Vivian Joseph](/source/Vivian_Joseph). They were the [1964 Olympic](/source/Figure_skating_at_the_1964_Winter_Olympics) bronze medalists, [1965 World](/source/1965_World_Figure_Skating_Championships) silver medalists, and 1965 North American champions. ## Background Joseph was born in [Chicago](/source/Chicago), Illinois, on October 9, 1944, and was the elder brother of [Vivian Joseph](/source/Vivian_Joseph).[1] He was Jewish until converting to Catholicism before his death.[2] He worked as a hand surgeon in Arizona and [Florida](/source/Florida).[3] He married [St. Johns County Commissioner](/source/St._Johns_County,_Florida) Krista Keating in 1993 and they had one daughter.[2] He lived in [Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida](/source/Ponte_Vedra_Beach,_Florida).[4] Joseph was diagnosed with [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis](/source/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis) in 2023.[4] He died on January 20, 2026, at the age of 81.[2] ## Career The skating pair of Vivian and Ron Joseph began competing together by the late 1950s and became the U.S. national junior champions in 1961. They won the senior bronze medal in 1962 and silver the following year. They were assigned to the 1963 North American Championships, where they took the bronze medal, and to the [1963 World Championships](/source/1963_World_Figure_Skating_Championships), where they placed eighth. The Josephs were selected to represent the United States at the [1964 Winter Olympics](/source/Figure_skating_at_the_1964_Winter_Olympics) in [Innsbruck](/source/Innsbruck) and initially finished fourth. A few years later, the silver medalists, [Marika Kilius](/source/Marika_Kilius) / [Hans-Jürgen Bäumler](/source/Hans-J%C3%BCrgen_B%C3%A4umler) of Germany, were disqualified after they were accused of signing a pro contract before the Olympics. The original bronze medalists, [Debbi Wilkes](/source/Debbi_Wilkes) / [Guy Revell](/source/Guy_Revell) of Canada, were elevated to silver and the Joseph siblings to bronze. When the German pair was reinstated in 1987, the IOC decided the Germans and Canadians were both silver medalists and the Americans remained bronze medalists.[5] The IOC officially updated the results in November 2014.[6][7] Vivian and Ron won the national senior title in 1965. They then took gold at the 1965 North American Championships and silver at the [1965 World Championships](/source/1965_World_Figure_Skating_Championships) before retiring from competition. They were coached by [Peter Dunfield](/source/Peter_Dunfield).[5] ## Results (Pairs with Vivian Joseph) International Event 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 Winter Olympics 3rd World Championships 8th 4th 2nd North American Championships 3rd 1st National U.S. Championships 2nd J. 1st J. 3rd 2nd 2nd 1st J. = Junior level ## See also - [List of select Jewish figure skaters](/source/List_of_Jews_in_sports#Figure_skating) ## References 1. ["Ron Joseph"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200418080004/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/ron-joseph-1.html). [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Archived from [the original](https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/ron-joseph-1.html) on 2020-04-18. 1. ["Ron Joseph, Olympic Medalist and Pioneering Surgeon, Remembered for Grace and Family"](https://sjcitizen.com/ron-joseph-olympic-medalist-and-pioneering-surgeon-remembered-for-grace-and-family/). SJ Citizen. January 21, 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026. 1. Hersh, Philip (February 12, 2011). ["Anniversary recalls disaster of 1961 plane crash that wiped out U.S. figure skating team"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141203022531/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-12/sports/ct-spt-0213-web-skating-1961-annivers20110212_1_figure-skating-plane-crash-linda-leaver/2). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. Archived from [the original](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-12/sports/ct-spt-0213-web-skating-1961-annivers20110212_1_figure-skating-plane-crash-linda-leaver/2) on 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2014-11-26. 1. ["'It's the journey that counts': Olympic-winning figure skater becomes advocate for ALS through Mayo Clinic"](https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/olympic-winning-figure-skater-ronald-joseph-becomes-advocate-for-als-by-volunteering-with-mayo-clinic-in-jacksonville/77-31b56384-e836-4db8-ac6d-b5e72d839062). First Coast News. February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024. 1. Rosewater, Amy (December 13, 2013). ["1964 Olympic Skating Pair Only Now Discovering Their Place"](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/14/sports/olympics/1964-olympic-skating-pair-only-now-discovering-their-place.html?pagewanted=all). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* 1. Rosewater, Amy (November 25, 2014). ["I.O.C. Corrects Record on 1964 American Skating Pair"](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/26/sports/olympics/ioc-corrects-record-on-1964-olympic-skating-pair.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* 1. Rosewater, Amy (November 25, 2014). ["Fifty years later, Joseph siblings find redemption"](http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/11/25/102439578/). *[IceNetwork](/source/U.S._Figure_Skating)* ## External links - [Jews in Sports bio](http://www.jewsinsports.org/olympics.asp?ID=308) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ronald Joseph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Joseph) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Joseph?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.