Ronald Bezoff

Ron died unexpectedly on March 12, 2023 at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital in Bracebridge and will be dearly missed by his wife Merle (Overholt) Bezoff. Father to Greg, Chris, Michael (Carrie Topham) and Lisa (Hocking), he was also a special grandfather to Ethan (Abby), Austin, Dylan and Mary. A small private gathering of family was held at Reynolds Funeral Home in Bracebridge on March 14 to say goodbye, where many tears and memories were shared.

Born in Toronto to Chris and Annie (Komar) Bezoff, Ron spent his early years in the Kensington Market area of Toronto, before his family moved “north” where he attended Vaughan Road Collegiate, honed his basketball skills, then went on to the University of Toronto. Ron was an avid fan of the Duke University Blue Devils and Coach K, and this year he missed March Madness for the very first time. In 1957 he moved to the States where he began his working and family life with his first wife Carol. Ten years later, he moved back to Ontario to join his father as a partner at Dominion Shoe Findings. In 1974, he married Merle, beginning a new chapter that would last almost 50 years.

Ron had great memories of his family ski trips, weekends spent at the “little cabin” and skiing at Hidden Valley, as well as trips to the vineyards in Switzerland, France and Italy with Merle and his great friends Peter and Doreen Rossi. In 2001, he retired and he and Merle moved to Bracebridge. Ron’s happy place was the home he put his heart and soul into, Tree Tops (Bed and Breakfast) on Lake Muskoka. As “head chef” he touched so many lives with his exuberance, love of life and great breakfasts. Ron was active in Bracebridge and enjoyed golfing, bridge, the South Muskoka Probus Club and especially the Silver Bullets cooking group. During the winters, he loved spending time with friends at the Villages of Country Creek in Estero, Florida. Most recently, he looked forward to his weekly meetings at the VON South Simcoe branch in Bracebridge.

Ron will be missed by many, especially the Bezoff, Bate, Crockatt, Stewart and Wisniewski families.

A barbecue to honour Ron and his love of hot dogs will be held on Friday, June 23, 2023 from 11:30-2:30 at the Kerr Park Chalet on Beaumont Drive in Bracebridge. As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations can be made to the VON Simcoe County at https://von.ca/en/donation-form.