Tony Bellson Jr.

Tony Bellson, Jr.

Nashville, TN

Born in Moline, Illinois to the late Tony and Rose Bellson on June 22, 1951. His devoted grandmother, the late Carmen Bellson, helped to raise him into a young man. Like his father and uncle before him, Tony was surrounded by the music business as a young man, traveling with his family to jazz venues across America. He had a natural ability to play the drums like many men in the Bellson family, and played in several Quad Cities rock bands as a teenager.

In 1973, Tony married the love of his life, Vicki Frutiger Bellson, and started the family that would become his greatest pride and joy.

After moving to Nashville, Tennessee, he used his personal struggles to help others when he became a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC). The people he met in his work at Cumberland Heights Treatment Center, Samaritan Center, Urban Housing Solutions and those he sponsored in the NA and AA communities praised his unique ability to communicate about their troubles. Tony thrived in this work, and he helped countless people achieve sobriety and reclaim their lives.

Throughout his life, Tony always retained his sense of curiosity and wonder. He found the greatest joy in quiet but lively places: in his gardens, in books, in study of history and nature, in fishing the local rivers and lakes, and in tending to his beautiful aquariums. He was also very proud of his Italian heritage due to the early influence of his grandmother, placing great importance on handing down family traditions and recipes to his children. A fresh batch of his grandmother's pasta sauce was always on the stove in his kitchen.

Tony is survived by his former wife, Vicki; his daughters, Heather, Angela, and Meredith; his brother, Lou; his sisters, Cynthia, Susan, and Candy; many extended family members and close friends; and his sweet little dog, Daisy Bell.

Tony was always drawn toward those who needed help. He dedicated the most productive years of his life to addicts whom society had abandoned, and late in life he became a passionate advocate for endangered species, with particular sympathy for the rapidly decreasing population of lions in Africa.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/big-cats-initiative/get-involved/ in his name.