James Ronald "Ron" Feinstein

1944 - 2020

April 25, 1944 - September 13, 2020 Ron Feinstein, whose life as a hard-working and successful businessman who tirelessly donated his time to community service was the very embodiment of the American Dream and Work Ethic, passed away at his Camarillo home on Sunday after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 76For Ron, best known as the charismatic owner of All Valley Washer Service in Van Nuys, the hard work started early and he came by it honestly. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on April 25, 1944, he was the oldest child of Ed and Billie Feinstein. The family moved to Louisiana, and then, in the late '50s, to Van Nuys. By now, the family was bigger, and although Ed had a job at Douglas Aircraft, money was tight and everybody was expected to chip in. Ron mowed lawns, delivered newspapers, and helped his dad with the new appliance repair business he'd started "on the side" in the garage.Because he wasn't busy enough doing all this while going to Van Nuys High, when he started Valley College he took a job at The Big Donut, reporting to work at 3 a.m. Little did he know that taking this job would forever change his life. It turned out the Big Donut was next to the Pup and Taco, and there was a very cute girl named Gayle who worked there. Ron was immediately smitten, and next month they would have celebrated their 58th anniversary.By the time they were married, Ed Feinstein's "side business" had started to take off and was morphing into the multi-housing laundry service that it is today. Ron and all the rest of the kids were working in the business, with Ron doing everything from installing and repairing the equipment to collecting the coins and making sales calls. Upon Ed's passing in 1980, Ron took on the leadership role; now, 40 years later, All Valley is the largest family-owned-and-operated laundry service provider in California.During that time, Ron's entrepreneurial skills were also in evidence; in addition to All Valley Washer, Ron's business interests included Feinstein Investments, which owns and manages apartment buildings in the San Fernando Valley; commercial property in the Santa Clarita Valley; Smoke Detectors Inc.; a ranch in northeastern Ventura County, and a golf course and RV park in northeastern Los Angeles County.Despite all the demands on his time, Ron felt he should give back to the community and gave generously of his time. He received countless commendations from local and state government for his service to the Mid-Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Valley Police Council, and Mid-Valley YMCA, and also for organizing the original "Van Nuys Clean-Up." He was also active in trade organizations such as the Apartment Association SFV/Ventura County, the Multi-Housing Laundry Association, and the Southern California Route Operators Association.Critical to his success in all these endeavors were his magnetic personality, his boundless energy, his desire to work long and hard to achieve his goals, and his willingness to take risks that others might shy away from. He was outgoing, personable, and had a good sense of humor, which allowed him to form life-long business relationships that most often became personal friendships. He would often say, "It's all about the relationships." But he knew there was more to it than that. Citing his dad's mantra: "How can we provide the best possible service for our customers?" Ron constantly looked for innovations or technological advances that could be employed to make All Valley more responsive and competitive. He was innately curious and never grew tired of learning and educating himself about the latest developments, all in the hope of making his company better. Toward that end, he also built upon his parents' fostering of a company culture where all employees felt like they were members of a family. He was especially grateful and proud that so many employees had been working at the company for five, ten, fifteen, twenty years and more, and he told them so.Of course, he was not without his faults. He was a notorious "over-booker" and "running-later" who always had way too much on his plate and not enough time to do it all. He could occasionally fly off the handle and say something he'd later regret; on the other hand, once it was over it was over and he never held a grudge. And he absolutely, positively, could not relax. He rarely took a vacation or time-off that wasn't business-related; his idea of "relaxing" was going up to the ranch to repair a tractor and maybe bale a little alfalfa.Ron was bigger than life and a force of nature; a loving husband, father and grandfather, and a loyal friend to all to all who knew him. He is survived by his wife Gayle; sisters Sandy and Darleen; his brother Bob; his daughters Cindy and Geneen; his son Jim, and six grandchildren. Services are scheduled for Saturday, September 19 at 12:00 p.m., but will be private due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, a live streaming of the services will be available at www.facebook.com/events/342153980531341.