Ronald Scott Ohman

Ron was born on October 21, 1963, in Rockford, Illinois, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gary & Seena Jane (nee Gotthalf) Ohman.

Ron was raised in the tiny farm town of Shirland, Illinois, with his father, stepmother Gloria Ohman, and three beloved brothers, Dave, Bruce, and Chuck. He attended the K-8 Shirland School, and then graduated from Hononegah High School, Class of 1981. During the summer between high school and college, at the age of 17, Ron was in a horrible car crash and fractured his spine, among other injuries. He literally lost height. Although, he was hurt very badly, and still banged up, he was determined to start college in the fall, as planned. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. He worked hard and paid his own way through school, by waiting tables all four years. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business, in 1985.

Shortly after graduation, Ron's college roommate and best friend, Mike Heller, took a job in Orlando, Florida. He asked Ron if he wanted to move to Florida, too. Ron immediately loaded up everything he owned in his old beat-up Country Squire, wood-sided station wagon, with a mere $300 to his name, and started driving south! Ron said that as a kid growing up in frigid Northern Illinois, he would watch the weather map on the TV. He always noticed this little part of the country, sticking out at the bottom, that never seemed to participate in winter. As a child, he always wished he was there, so when the offer came he did not hesitate!

In Orlando, Ron began his long career in restaurant management. His job transferred him to South Florida a few years later. Ron was working as an assistant General manager at the Ruby Tuesday in Boynton Beach, when he met a new manager trainee named Gena Lee Graves, who was fresh out of college. When the two first met, sparks flew, but not the good kind. Ron thought Gena Lee was annoying, asking too many questions in training. Gena Lee thought Ron was a colossal (word we won't mention here). However, over time they developed a very strong friendship, and then finally, after friends pointed it out to them, they realized they were madly in love. They have been inseparable ever since, and they were married on April 17th, 1993. Ron & Gena Lee were true soul mates, lucky enough to find that once-in-a-lifetime love!

After Ron and Gena Lee became serious, Ron quit his 10-year cigarette smoking habit in 1991, with the encouragement of Gena Lee's father. Ron wanted to make steps for a healthier life. Early into the marriage, Ron began to develop an alcohol addiction. But in 1995, he came to a crossroads, and decided to end it. He simply got up, poured the bottle down the drain, and never looked back! Ron prioritized his wife and future children above all else, and although it was not easy, he beat those vices and demons, unlike millions of others that never conquer them. His family celebrated his no-smoking and no-drinking anniversaries for the rest of his life, and always thanked him for choosing them over the alcohol.

In 1995 Ron & Gena Lee welcomed their first child, Janie Katherine Ohman, and in 1998, they welcomed their first son, Casey Thomas Ohman.

In the year 2000, Ron was attending a corporate retreat, where was involved in a very bad jet ski accident. He was seriously injured, and out or work for months rehabbing. While he was at home recovering, he realized that he had spent more time with his kids during those few months, than he had their entire little lives. During this time, the accident and subsequent x-rays, also led to the discovery that he had an autoimmune disease, called Sarcoidosis. He decided to make some major life changes. Restaurant management is a grueling job, working 70 - 80 hours a week, including weekends and holidays. Ron chose not to go back. He decided that if he was going to work that hard, it would be for himself, instead of a corporation.

He went into the swimming pool service and repair business, and in 2001, All Natural Pools & Spas, Inc. was founded. He went from working indoors, wearing dress shoes & ties and never seeing the light of day, to being outside all day, in shorts & T-shirts, and he couldn't have been happier!!! He looked like a different person, because his skin turned 50 shades tanner! His family and friends had NO idea he could even get that tan! He was so happy to spend loads of time with Janie & Casey, and took them everywhere with him, even to simple places like the grocery store. He totally made up for the lost time.

In 2006, Ron & Gena Lee welcomed their third child, Jackson Everett Ohman. This was the first of their children to be born, when Ron wasn't working in the restaurant business, so he was "present" for all the baby stages. He often joked that Jack was his first baby. He was so thrilled to experience it all, and told Gena Lee, "This is so awesome, no wonder you wanted to keep having more!"

Ron was unbelievably proud of his kids, they were his world. Ron was able to walk Janie up the aisle at her 2020 wedding, and witness Casey graduate from UCF in 2022, and see Jack excel at school and music, after being accepted into the Dreyfoos School of the Arts. He looked forward to seeing so much more.

Ron worked diligently over the years, growing All Natural Pools into a large company. Ron was the epitome of a hard working man! He suffered from lifelong back and neck pain from the car accident, and his Sarcoidosis worsened over the years, often making him terribly ill, but he never let it stop him! He persevered and powered through more than most people could handle. During the pandemic, his business exploded, recording the highest sales in the company's history. With everyone stuck at home, swimming pools were being used more than ever. Ron continued the upward growth every year since. Most recently he started a side business, called ANP Tile Blasting, specializing in pool tile cleaning and restoration. This new venture was his "baby" - He was simply thrilled with the prospects of this business, and it was to be his nest egg and the means to their retirement.

Ron was a beloved co-worker, boss and mentor to countless individuals, both in the restaurant business and pool business. He was extremely intelligent and held a wealth of knowledge, and managed to keep track of a million things at once. His customers loved him as well, and many have stayed with him for decades. He touched many lives over the years, more than he ever realized.

Ron loved to watch and talk about sports. He was a lifelong fan of the Chicago teams: Bears, Bulls, and Cubs - they were a source of great joy (and great grief) over the years. He reveled when the Bears won the Super Bowl, and when the Bulls three-peated, but the Cubs winning the World Series was by far his favorite sports moment. He watched the highlight reel at least 100 times!! He also loved to root for his Bradley Braves basketball team, and for his wife's FSU football team.

Ron was the kind of husband and father that every woman dreams of: he worked tirelessly at being the breadwinner, but he also cooked, grocery shopped, handled the finances, mopped floors, changed baby diapers, or anything that needed to be done! He put his wife and children above everything else! He doted on them, cared for them, protected them, and bragged about them to anyone that would listen! His favorite reply when someone asked him how he was doing, was "I'm living the dream!" Ron always supported, lifted up, and cheered the every move of his wife and kids! He was their biggest fan!

Although we will never know exactly what took Ron's life, we can only assume that the Sarcoidosis had spread to his heart, and caused it to suddenly fail.

He leaves behind his broken-hearted family, to navigate this strange new world, but also to cherish his wonderful memory and try to make him proud, including:

His wife of 30 years: Gena Lee Ohman (nee Graves)

Daughter & son-in-law: Janie & Drew Fontaine of Deland, FL

Sons: Casey and Jack Ohman

Father: Gary Ohman of Rockford, IL

Mother: Gloria Ohman-Knox of Shirland, IL

Brothers: David (wife Linda), Bruce (Mickey), and Charles (Sarah) Ohman, all of Rockford, IL

In-laws: Kathy Graves, Connie Christensen & David Egnor, and Gary & Summer Graves, all of Lake Worth, FL

Best friend: Michael Heller of Dallas, TX

Four cats that he would claim belonged to Gena Lee, but they miss him terribly - he took great care of them

and countless aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and friends

Ron was predeceased by his mother, Seena Jane Ohman in 1968, and father-in-law Gene Graves in 2022

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, October 14th, at 11:30 a.m. at The Church by the Glades, 127 South M Street, Lake Worth, FL 33460. A reception with refreshments will immediately follow.

"Remember me in quiet days, let the joy we knew remain, know that I would not have you cry, but live for me, and laugh for me, and while you live, I shall not die!"