Ronald Feldbaum

Ronald Feldbaum, 91, a devoted husband and father, cherished grandfather, proud veteran, and longtime resident of the Washington, D.C. area, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 26, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.

Ron is survived by his four daughters and their spouses—Merle and Julio, Mindy and Lisa, Miriam and Paul, and Audrey and his adoring grandchildren Leah, Isabel, Dylan, and Jemma. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 64 years, Eleanor Gordon Feldbaum.

Born on January 27, 1934, and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Bertha Feldman and Louis Feldbaum. Ron loved summers in Atlantic City and starting at age 12, started working the amusement games at Steeplechase Pier for his Uncle Ed and as a teenager, loved to go to music venues and saw some of the greats such as Louis Armstrong. Ron was an athlete in his youth and a standout placekicker on the Atlantic City High School varsity football team. After graduating, he proudly joined the U.S. Navy in 1954 and served in the Korean War as an airplane mechanic aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway, circumnavigating the globe at age 20.

Following his military service, Ron married Eleanor and built a life centered on education, service, and family. He earned a degree in engineering from the Philadelphia Textile Institute and went on to study law at the University of Baltimore. He then began a distinguished 35-year career as a patent attorney at the U.S. Patent Office, specializing in textiles.

Ron loved music, dancing, and traveling. He was always the first on the dance floor—whether at weddings or family gatherings. He and Eleanor famously had a rock and-roll wedding and filled their home with the sounds of Motown and the classics from the jukebox and danced with his children in the living room. He was a playful, light-hearted presence in the lives of his children and grandchildren—never missing a chance to pull a silly face, make funny voices, or invent games to make them laugh.

Ron was a hands-on engaged father and, in an era, where there were clearly defined gender roles, he broke the antiquated model of domesticity and threw himself into the role of father at home, whether it was cooking, shopping, playing sports, taking painting lessons with his daughters, fishing, or traveling across the country. With a strong wife and 4 strong daughters, he was an ardent feminist, as he wanted his wife and daughters to have no barriers in their personal or professional life choices. He did this all while juggling law school, raising 4 children, working full-time, and supporting Eleanor in her educational journey.

At age 55, Ron and Eleanor embarked on one of their most memorable adventures: packing up their home and moving to Europe for a few years to teach and travel. Ron relished this chapter, exploring great cities and museums of Europe, seeing firsthand the works of history’s most celebrated artists, and immersing himself in the art and cultures of the countries they visited. The experience expanded his artistic interests beyond the stained-glass pieces he’d been making for years. He studied neon art and crafted a few of his own works and fell in love with watercolor painting. He set up an art room and spent the latter part of his life painting. His creative endeavors brought him much enjoyment.

Ron also remained deeply engaged in the issues of the day. As a veteran and a proud civil servant, he was passionately committed to democracy and justice and over the past 6 months was upset about everything that was happening in Washington, particularly the dismantling of government and the firing of thousands of federal employees. In keeping with his values and desire to uphold those ideals, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Democracy Forward, [email protected], a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education, and regulatory engagement or the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, https://glenechopark.org/support where Ron spent many joyful hours with his children and grandchildren attending art classes and exhibitions.

Ron Feldbaum will be remembered for his warmth, generosity, humor, and his boundless love and devotion to his family. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the principles he stood for, and the joy he brought to all who knew him.

Graveside funeral services will be held at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery at 12 p.m. on Friday, August 1.

The cemetery is located at 9304 Adelphi Road, Adelphi, Maryland, 20783.

Arrangements are by Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, Inc., under the Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington contract.