Ronald D. Beidler

"A rugged-individualist, w/ incredible energy, enthusiasm, joy for living, creative, graphic-artist, businessman; US Army draftsman & sharpshooter, tech-illustrator, strong, mountain-man-country-farmer, gardener, landscaper, house-builder, animal lover/caretaker, brother, uncle & friend."

Ron Beidler, (class of '62, Sarasota HS), was born in Lansdale, PA., the 2nd son, of 5 children, raised by devout Christian parents. Ron’s family moved to Sarasota, Florida when he was 12. His passion for drawing, came at a very young age. As a pre-teen, Ron submitted his drawings, for an art competition, & won a scholarship for a correspondence course, to the Art Instruction School, to learn to become a commercial artist. He loved his SHS years, maintaining amazing energy, as a "teenage entrepreneur." He had a paper route of 240-250 houses. He awoke at 3am, to assemble the newspapers, & he delivered them, from 4-5:30 am, via his motor-scooter, then, later, his motorcycle; then he went fishing, & took the fish, he caught, home to his Mother, for her to cook for dinner, that evening, for the family; all before going to school at 7:30 am. He often went fishing again, after school. In the '70's, Ron owned a boat in Deale, MD and for about 10 years, he enjoyed taking friends out on the Chesapeake Bay, to fish. He loved to surf-fish on the OBX of NC, & at Wachapreague, VA.

Ron loved math, plane and solid geometry, and drafting, in HS. These classes would provide a great foundation for Ron's future graphic arts career, and for his love of building houses. After graduation, Ron took drafting/graphics' courses at St. Petersburg Jr. College. He worked at EMR in Juno, Sarasota, & Orlando, as a tech-illustrator& graphic artist; then, w/ ARD in Orlando, & RCA, in West Palm Beach. He especially enjoyed his job, at Northrup Carolina, in Asheville, NC, exploring the beautiful Smokey Mtns., on his days off. His final "job-shopper" work, was w/ Honeywell Corp. in Minneapolis, MN, 'in '68.

Later, in '68, Ron was drafted into the US Army. After completing boot camp in Ft. Gordon, GA, (sharpshooter), Ron had orders to be a machine gunner on choppers in Vietnam. A civilian contractor thought that Ron's graphics/drafting skills would be better utilized at the Pentagon, to create drawings of 3-D, weapon systems, as he had done, in his previous, "high security," graphics' roles. An Army superior had Ron's orders changed, from Vietnam, to the Pentagon/Ft. Belvoir. Ron viewed this as "divine intervention," that probably saved his life. Ron's passion, for graphics, was amazing; As a SGT draftsman/graphic artist, in the Army, he worked at the Pentagon, during the day, & then, he worked many night shifts, as a free-lance, tech-illustrator, for a variety of graphic companies, in the DC area. This "double-shift" graphics' experience increased his skills, expertise& "marketing of himself," as an artist.

His well-known "reputation for outstanding graphics work" in the DC area, was a tremendous "spring-board," for Ron, as he went on, to own & manage, his own graphics company, Graphic Arts, Incorporated, in Alexandria, VA, post-Army life. He hired/maintained, 26 full time graphics employees, and ran his business for about 35 years; the team was "sought after," for their unique, cutting-edge graphic designs & productions. They did graphics work, by hand, (before the existence of computers), for most all of the 26 federal agencies in Washington, D.C.

The expansion of computer technology necessitated a smaller staff, w/ a very different "skill-set." It was challenging, & costly, for the company, & the staff, to keep up with the ever-changing, up-dated, new computer systems/programs, for graphics. Ron was very grateful for his team of artists, who had to re-invent & re-educate themselves, skill-wise, to meet the challenges of a busy computer, graphics' company. Frequently, many of their projects for govt. agencies, were for "immediate, over-night, rush jobs," so Ron, & his team, would work all night, to have the work done, & personally delivered, for important, 0800 conferences/meetings, all around the DC area. Ron's "most honored" project, govt. contracting job, was for the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum, in '85, when he was selected to be part of an elite team, tasked w/ restoring the original Wright Brothers' plane, called "The Wright Flyer Project."

Not only were Ron's employees, fellow co-workers; most all of them were special friends, & were like family to him. An Army friend & his wife adopted 7 children,& Ron helped to raise them, in Falls Church. One boy, now 57, still calls Louise to inquire about Ron, & calls Ron "my favorite dad." Ron was grateful that he continued to enjoy the friendships of many of these employees, & their family members, when he "closed-up" his graphics company, in '02. In his early "retirement years," he drove for hours, daily, round-trip, from Falls Church, to help friends build beautiful, custom houses, in Lusby, MD. & in Madison, VA. Ron had enjoyed being at the helm, of his "fast-paced," challenging, graphics' company, but his true love, in life, was being part of nature, in the beautiful mountains of the Shenandoah Valley, where he found peace, tranquility & "renewal of spirit."

Forty-seven years ago, while serving in the Army, & running his company during the week, Ron built 2 homes, (on his "weekends-off"), in the Shenandoah Valley, on the edge of Massanutten Mountain. (Ron's definition of R&R was re-construction, renovation/restoration), to build a house, or shed; chop down a dead tree, cut up firewood, w/ his chain saw/ax; plow/clear out ditches, to keep his mtn. roads from washing out, using/riding his antique, '53 Ford Jubilee tractor, &/or Kubota tractor). Ron's Dad, from Sarasota, his 2 brothers, & a brother-in-law, & many of Ron's artist friends, helped him build his triple A-frame house, that was his pride & joy. He loved to go there, most every weekend, (when working, & more often, after he retired). He helped several country neighbors build their houses, as well. Ron was equally comfortable, whether in the city w/ his busy graphics business, or in the country, as a farmer/builder. He had many friends, both in the country, & in the city, and he loved "the mix" of the "2 different worlds." Ron loved to plant gardens, build rock walls, & fireplaces, using rocks, that he hand-picked, on the mountain. He used his tractors to create roads, on his properties, where there had been none, & he maintained 2 different, 1/3-1/2 mile-long, rugged, steep, dirt roads, up to his house property, & to several of the mtn. lots, that he owned, south of his houses, on mountain ridges; both areas had spectacular, westerly-views, over-looking the Shenandoah Valley, & bends, of the Shenandoah River. He loved to restore battered, antique trunks, that he found at local country auctions.

He always traveled w/ a chain saw, hammer/tools, gas can, bags of cement, etc., in the back seat of his cars/truck. With construction of houses, sheds, rock walls, he always had that "builder-mind-set." Also, he never knew if he might need a chain saw, just to get up to his house, if a tree had fallen across the road. To get to Ron's house, he had to cross a one-lane, low-water, cement bridge. Often, w/ heavy rains, or snows, the river would flood, making it impossible to cross that bridge. He would have to turn around, & take the long way home, on a different road, miles south of his usual road. Ron did not mind; he preferred driving the back roads, & seeing folks, on those roads, that he'd not seen since the last flood, when he had to go "their way," to get to his house. Ron could take a long time to drive up to his house, on either road. He would stop & talk w/ most everyone he saw, on the road, either driving, or walking, etc. That bridge was somewhat symbolic, of Ron's life, also. He would frequently help folks, to cross their own "bridges of troubled waters," in their personal lives. Often, with heavy snows, the rugged, long "driveway," up to Ron's houses, was "snowed-under, often, w/ 4-6 feet of drifting snow. Ron, & friends, had to leave their cars, on the rural state road, & hike up his mtn. rd., in waist-high, snow-drifts, to get to his house,& tractor, so he could plow-out the road(s).

Ron enjoyed driving up to the Woodstock Tower, to hike, & a couple times, over the past few decades, he observed some homeless men, "camping out," in the GW National Forest, near his lots. Ron would get out of his truck, talk w/ them, & then he returned, an hour later, to their "utter shock," w/ food, water, blankets, etc., for them. Helping others was a "natural occurrence" for Ron. That's who he was. He also loved music, from the '30's, '40's & '50's; square-dancing, ballroom dancing & skiing in Colorado, Vermont & VA, w/ family & friends.

Ron loved hand-made quilts & afghans, & bought many of them, whenever he saw them, as they were "works of art, from the heart." In recent years, Ron was the main driver for Columbia Baptist Church's local food bank, with weekly trips, to and from, the Capital Area Food Bank, in Lorton, VA. & w/ "Spend Yourself," church gardens. He identified w/ the needy, as he had been through some tough, financial times, too. He enjoyed raising pet rabbits with his friend, Louise, whom he met, at Columbia Baptist, about 17 years ago, at a "random," Wednesday evening church dinner, in the "grief group," that she had recently joined, soon after the passing of her Dad. She, & others, found "joy in a grief group," getting to know their newest attendee, Ron. His positive, friendly outlook on life was "most welcome," to all members of the group. Ron's unique life-stories were most welcome to hear. Ron's "joy for life," was up-lifting, & a gift, to just about everyone who crossed his path. They continued to join their church friends, for Wed. evening dinners, for most all of these past 17 years.

Ron liked to "recycle" scrap metal, lumber, dry wall, insulation, plywood, metal pipes, bricks, cinder-blocks, etc., that he found, & would use these materials, to build his next shed, or rabbit hutch, etc.

Ron loved animals; especially, rabbits, & German Shepherds, that he "rescued," as former, stray rabbits, or as "police-dog-wannabies," from the Police K-9 Training School, in Front Royal, VA. Several of the shepherds he adopted, were "flunkies" from that school. They had received good obedience training, & often continued to be "drug/vehicle-sniffers." Even if they were a "bit hyper, or too friendly," to be working police dogs, they were well-behaved/trained, loyal pets. And, Ron would stop, to pet, just about every neighborhood dog, that he saw, walking by, on the public sidewalk, in front of the house. Ron always took his loyal, energetic, (but, often stubborn), German Shepherd, named "Bear," w/ him, to the country. Bear was a true mountain dog, who loved "riding shotgun," w/ Ron, in the front seat of his Ford truck. (Louise had to ride in the back seat, w/ the chain saws, bags of cement, tools, etc., or have an 80 lb. dog on her lap, for the 80 min. drive to the country). Bear was Ron's "super eyes, ears, & nose," to alert Ron of approaching people/critters, on the mtn. Ron was a great care-giver to rabbits,& dogs, alike. Louise was a nurse, & animal lover, as well. No one was a stranger to Ron; "they were just friends, waiting to happen.” We will miss Ron, terribly, but we know that these past 2 years have been very tough, for him, especially as his ability to speak, & walk, faded away. Now, it is finally time for him to rest. But, knowing Ron, he is probably in heaven, building something, or walking the mountains, there. We will always remember our very dear, energetic, enthusiastic "lover of life," friend, brother, cousin & uncle. He was a "one in a million guy," & a "one in a million friend."