Ronnie Tassin dies at age 43

The former Edison High football star and state beach lifeguard is killed in forklift accident.The south side had lost one of its guardians.

Former state lifeguard Ronald Allen Tassin died last week in a forklift accident at his Stonecenter business in Santa Ana. He was 43 years old.

Born in Inglewood, Tassin grew up in Huntington Beach and was a well-known high school athlete. He was a starting wide receiver for the 1979 CIF Champion Edison Chargers and a member of the USA Lifeguard National Team.

For more than 20 years, Tassin was a lifeguard at Huntington State Beach and served for several years as a CPR and first-aid instructor for new trainees.

In 1998, he opened his own Marbleman and Stonecenter stores, specializing in stone sales, fabrications and installations.

He is survived by his father, Ronald Tassin Sr., his mother, Linda Dunn, and his girlfriend, Jennifer Hernandez.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Christian Church, 1207 Main St.