Ronald Harold Bevins Sr.

Ronald Harold Bevins Sr., a city attorney and family man to a large and loving Southern California clan, has passed away at the age of 91 in Los Alamitos. In his career, he represented the city of Buena Park, and in his long life, he saw the region transformed - including, to some extent, by his own offspring.

The son of Hubert Ambrose Bevins and Evelyn Clara (née Jenkins), of Iowa, Ron arrived in Anaheim in 1937. At the time, the small city was known for its German population, and the surrounding county was still covered in orange groves. He attended St. Boniface Catholic and then Anaheim High School, excelling in sports and academics, then earned a law degree from Loyola University in Los Angeles. He married Mar Elina (née Burns), the love of his life, in 1955.

Ron went to Disneyland on its opening night, when many locals were skeptical that an amusement park of that type could succeed. Soon, its arrival -- and the construction of freeways -- led to a rapid increase in population. He remained active in the St. Boniface parish, as one by one his children graduated from his old school. At work, he defended the interests of a city that had been incorporated just years before his arrival. Much like in his hometown, affairs in Buena Park often revolved around changing demographics and a growing theme park: Knott's Berry Farm. As an attorney Bevins earned a reputation for professionalism and attention to detail, and in one case represented the city before the U.S. Supreme Court.

But his children remember that he most came alive when he got away from the office, and the whole family crammed into a station wagon to explore the myriad wonders of nature in the region. On vacation, he would joke with the kids and tell them it was time for a "sleeping contest" -- a stressed-out lawyer's trick to get some peace and quiet. They visited Catalina Island, and beaches up and down the coast. Most of all, Ron loved relaxing by Green Valley Lake in the San Bernadino Mountains. A proud Irish-American, he supported Notre Dame football; after marrying into a Mexican-American family, he made sure his kids were able to spend formative time with their cousins south of the border.

He leaves behind Mar Elina, 91, who lives in Seal Beach. Together, they had nine children. Ron is survived by twenty-seven grandchildren, as well as nineteen -- and counting -- great-grandchildren. Their contributions are too varied to fit in this space. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday at St. Boniface, in Anaheim.