Ronald L. Bellman

Ronald Leo Bellman was a family man, outdoors man, and just a lover of life. Family was extremely important to him. He chose to stay in his hometown and raise a family with his beloved wife Mary (Walsh). They raised three sons: Patrick, Danny, and Michael, along with three awesome dogs (Blue, Reese, and Mocha) and one stubborn cat (Morris). He found a deep, unique connection with each of his sons, making them feel special and loved. He would go on many adventures with Patrick, many sporting events with Danny, and many museums and obscure attractions with Michael. He loved his sons deeply and was so proud of the men they became.

He was the primary care giver to his mother Mary Jane Bellman, who enjoyed coming over to his house every Sunday to escape the nursing home. He cherished his time with his late father Herbert Bellman and his siblings Patty (Joe) Burke, Steve (Maria) Bellman, and Peggy (Pedro) Cadiz and their children (Cristy, Carrie, Joe, Erica, Greg, and Pete).

Ron embraced Mary’s family as his own. He enjoyed all the family parties and events. He had a unique connection with every one of his in-laws Karen Reagan, Tony (Maureen) Walsh, Patty (Remo) Loreto, Tim (Susan) Walsh, and Margie (Scott) Blake, and nieces and nephews (Nino, Maria, Lillia, Joe, Annie, Lydia, Emma, Stephen, Angela, Ben, Elizabeth, Maggie, Katie, Bridget, and Jack). He would always share stories that make you laugh till you hurt.

He was a friend to many. So many lives were touched by his life that cannot be expressed fully here. He enjoyed his many adventures with the Hartmanns; the many Thirsty Thursdays with the neighbors; celebrating New Years with the Ceddias. He also loved to infiltrate neighbors’ parties, becoming friends with many of their extended families in the process.

After initially starting a career as a salesman which included a short stint selling bonsai plants, he decided to go back to school to become a physical therapist. This was met by some criticism and challenges -- including the births of his three sons -- but he was persistent in following through on his plan. He spent 27 years dedicated to working for the VA serving veterans from World War 2 to today. He loved his job, coworkers, and patients. He also offered his expert advice as a physical therapist to his relatives and friends, even commiserating with them when he had both of his knees replaced.

With his new knees came new adventures and bigger plans for the future. Within the last year he went to Alaska, celebrated his nephew Greg’s wedding in the Catskills, cruised the Erie Canal, visited Arizona for Spring Training, hiked the Appalachian Trail with his friend Ed Hartmann, traveled Ireland and London with his family, and even pulled off a short but long-awaited trip to Marrieta and the Wilds with Patrick and Michael. When he was not exploring the world, you would find Ron landscaping his yard, including taking care of his rock garden or setting up fences around his plants to protect them from the deer.

Ron was always aware of cool, amazing, and unique adventures, and had many on his incomplete bucket list. Some of the remaining things he wanted to do were watching crane migration in Nebraska, canoeing in Okeyphanoke Swamp, and scuba diving with the manatees in Florida. It was one of these unique adventures that brought him to Michigan, where he was going to be a lighthouse keeper at the Old Mission Lighthouse for a week with his wife. They were able to enjoy one beautiful night there. The next day his life was tragically ripped away from him by a drunk driver while exploring the Michigan coast on his day off from volunteering as a lighthouse keeper.

There is no question that Ron lived life to the fullest. He did not waste a moment of his life. There was so much more that he could have done with his life. There are so many dreams unfulfilled. Our family lost our rock and our anchor. Our mom lost the love of her life. We lost our dad. We lost our friend.

A Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025 at St. Ignatius Church, 5222 North Bend Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45247 from 10:30 AM until Mass of Christian Burial at 12 Noon.

In lieu of flowers please donate in Ron’s name to Patty’s Christmas Kitchen: https://pattyschristmaskitchen.org/support.html

or

Autism Connections Cincinnati: https://autismcincy.org/donate/

Condolences at hodappfuneralhome.com