Bill Jones Remembers Ultimate #GirlDad Ron Anders

(CBSDFW.COM) - It all started 35 years ago in the First Baptist Church-Grapevine gymnasium.

That's when Ron Anders started spending three nights a week teaching the game of basketball to his daughters, Shannon and Robyn. At the time Shannon was a 3rd grader and Robyn a 1st grader at Johnson Elementary in Southlake.

The father-daughter evening workouts continued for years.

Shannon would go on to become a Southlake Carroll Hall of Honor player for the Lady Dragons, NCAA Academic All-District at Cal-Irvine and Head Coach at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis.

Robyn became an All-State player for the Lady Dragons, NCAAA cademic All-American at Ouachita Baptist and is now the Head Coach at Southlake Carroll.

Ron's personality was such that he would deflect all praise. Instead, he would say the real reason for the girls' success was the woman he loved for over 50 years, his beloved wife Susan, a Johnson Elementary 4th grade teacher for 40 years.

How much did Ron love the Lady Dragons? In November, with cancer treatments ravaging his body, he summoned up the strength to journey 40 miles to Prosper to watch the season opener. He made it through the 1st quarter before needing to head home.

As his body weakened throughout the season, Ron has been cheering on the Lady Dragons from home, watching every game live via Periscope. And on Tuesday night, just hours after Southlake Carroll secured its first 20 win season in five years, the Lord called Ron Anders home.

Yes, on Tuesday, the same day the phrase #GirlDad went viral on social media and became a part of American sports lexicon, the ultimate #GirlDad, Ron Anders, went home to be with the Lord in VICTORY!

The fruits of Ron's love for his daughters, and for the game of basketball, will be his lasting legacy. He not only taught them the fundamentals of the sport, but he instilled in them the faith, values, passion and work ethic that they now pass on to the next generation.

There is no telling how many more lives Ron Anders will continue to touch through his basketball coaching daughters and his basketball playing grandchildren, who all share the same love for the game as the best Lady Dragon #GirlDad of them all!