What happened to Ron Swanson after Parks and Recreation ended? The character, portrayed by Nick Offerman, appeared in all 125 episodes of the NBC sitcom. The epic Parks and Rec finale gave viewers a glimpse into Ron’s fitting life in the future.
Ron was known for having a deadpan personality and he prioritized keeping his work out of his personal life. His interests included red meats, woodworking, and keeping his life private. Despite being cynical of the government, Ron worked as the Director of the Pawnee City Department of Parks and Recreation, a department he didn’t even think should exist. Over time, Ron opened up his life to his fellow Parks Department employees, especially Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). He eventually went on to marry a woman named Diane (Lucy Lawless), becoming a father to her two girls before having a son of their own.
At the start of Parks and Rec season 7, there was a three-year time jump. Ron left the Parks Department and had since started his own construction company, Very Good Building and Construction Company, with his brothers, Don, Vaughn, and Lon. Leslie also no longer worked for the Parks Department; instead, she served as the Regional Director of National Park Service Midwest Region. It was also revealed that Ron and Leslie were enemies for a short time before they were forced by their friends to make amends. Ron’s company was successful but he didn’t feel a sense of fulfillment. The Parks and Rec series finale featured flash-forward scenes revealing Ron’s fate.
By 2022, Ron had enough with his life in construction, so he turned to his Leslie to help him find a new job. She then convinced the superintendent of the Pawnee National Park to relocate, so that Ron could fill in for the position. His new “work-life” composed of paddling around in a canoe listening to Willie Nelson. Considering the huge smile on Ron’s face, he finally found his true calling. The series finale also revealed that Ron sold half of his gold to diversify his funds. He notably hid his gold from his ex-wife, “Tammy One”, earlier in the series. Ron used some of his funds to purchase 51% of Lagavulin distillery, a whiskey-based company in Scotland. Lagavulin was revealed to be Ron’s drink of choice throughout the series and he had a high interest in the industry.
Not many details regarding Ron’s family were revealed in the flash-forward scenes in the Parks and Recreation finale. It’s assumed that Ron and Diane remained happily married. A picture of their son, Jon, was shown in the finale episode. He had his hair combed over just like Ron and was revealed to be a fan of woodworking. There’s no doubt that Jon would grow up to be an avid hunter and expert in all things meat-related.
