Southern Indiana Business Report
JASPER – Don Charron, who led Kimball Electronics in Jasper during a time of successful growth and expansion around the globe, has died.
The death of the former chairman and CEO, who retired in March, was announced Tuesday by Kimball Electronics.
“All of us at Kimball Electronics mourn the loss of our longtime Chairman and CEO and dear friend, Don Charron. At the same time, we celebrate and honor Don for his deep personal and engaging commitment to his family, his community, and our company,” read a statement released by Kimball Electronics. “Don was a strong believer in doing the right thing and shaped our Guiding Principles, and we are forever grateful for his warmth, positivity, generosity, and tireless work that, over his 24 years of service, contributed so much to our collective successes. Don is beloved, and everyone who worked with him will cherish his life and the legacy that he left us.”
According to his obituary, Charron died Saturday at Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis. He was 59.
Charron joined Kimball International in 1999 to lead the Kimball Electronics Group in Jasper. During his career, he positioned Kimball Electronics for success with geographic expansions around the globe and led Kimball’s portfolio diversification with applications supporting the automotive, medical and industrial end markets.
In 2014, he led Kimball Electronics through the spin-off from Kimball International to an independent, publicly traded company listed on Nasdaq. Under his leadership, Kimball Electronics was honored with numerous awards and distinctions for operational excellence and the highest levels of customer service, including special recognitions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Before his retirement in March of 2023, Charron had guided Kimball Electronics to the nearly $2 billion company it is today.
Charron was born in South Dakota and is survived by his wife Kari and three children.
A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 18 at Precious Blood Catholic Church in Jasper with burial to follow in Fairview Cemetery in Jasper. Visitation will be held from 3-7 p.m. Aug. 17 at Becher-Kluesner Downtown Chapel in Jasper.