Ron Litzinger inspired loved ones to live life to the fullest
Ron Litzinger had an incredible zest for life.
His fiancée, Cassidy Nixon, said he didn’t believe in sitting at home and made her “live life to the fullest with him, whether I liked it or not.”
Nixon recalls how Litzinger would wear his cowboy boots anywhere he went. Simple memories — like a time at a corn stand where she made him chase after her car while he ran in his boots and carried his bag of corn — will stay forever. Litzinger always made his family laugh and never took anything too seriously.
Litzinger, of Butler, died on March 29 at the age of 43. He was the father of Callie, Jesse, Ava, Carlee and Josh; and the grandfather of Marley Mae and Maverick. He was the brother of Andrew and Crystal, and the son of Ronald and Theresa. His family and friends remember Ron as somebody who was liked by everyone he interacted with, and lived life on his own terms.
“Ron wasn’t only our dad, he was our best friend,” Litzenger’s daughter, Callie, said.
He lived life in such a way that his older sister, Crystal Breck, said she couldn’t just refer to him as her little brother during her speech at his funeral. She said she came up with words such as “charismatic, chaotic, crazy, trouble making, free spirited, compassionate,” to describe Ron.
Breck will tell you that her little brother changed drastically throughout the years, growing from a scrawnier, socially awkward kid and turning into an outgoing man who was capable of being friends with anybody.
As Breck put it, Ron “could piss you off and make you laugh your (expletive) off in the same breath.”
Litzinger loved his family and friends, he loved his work as a carpenter and owner of R. Litzinger & Sons Construction, and he loved riding on his motorcycle.
Bill Bookhamer, who described Litzinger as a great friend, met him at the American Legion around 10 years ago. Bookhamer said it was immediately clear Litzinger loved everybody in his life and everybody loved him. Litzinger would eventually be Bookhamer’s best man at his wedding.
Bookhamer and another friend, Bobby Scarmack, recalled riding with Litzinger and other friends of theirs, to various places out of state such as Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and Daytona, Fla.
“We were driving down and he was in the truck behind him, and when we crossed into Florida he called us to say he saw a palm tree for the first time — he got that excited. He always had a good time about everything,” Bobby Scarmack said. “He had never been there, he’d never seen the ocean before. He got up the next morning to go and watch the dolphins. He was always excited.”
Litzinger did not worry about what others thought; he simply lived life to the fullest.
“He was a friend to the end, ride or die. We got in so much trouble and mischief when we were kids. He didn’t have a care in the world. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and he didn’t worry about who would be agitated,” Breck said. “And we had each other’s backs.”
Bookhamer said Litzenger lit up any room he walked into.
“The thing we can do is remember that Ron was Ron, and he lived his life the way he wanted to live it,” Bookhamer said. “He loved life. He liked going out and doing things, riding, just sitting with you and drinking a beer.”
For Litzinger, his family and friends were the most important part of his life.
Breck said Cassidy was the love of his life, and that he loved her unlike anything else. They were one soul together and he loved her wholeheartedly.
Litzinger deeply loved and cared for his children and grandchildren.
“When he became a grandfather, there was love and light in him unlike anything I’ve ever seen, he loved her so much. He was so protective and she held a bigger place in his heart than she’ll ever know,” Breck said.
Crystal’s husband, Matt, said Litzinger welcomed him into the family right away. A common trait friends and family shared about Litzinger was he always made sure people were included, and he always made Matt feel like he was part of the family.
“There was never a time even when I first met him that he wasn’t welcoming,” Matt Breck said. “He had such a heart of gold.”
Litzinger would not only express to his friends and family how much he loved them, he would go out of his way to find ways to help them as well. Bookhamer specifically mentioned the time Litzinger helped him build a tiki bar in his backyard he had planned for a long time.
“He stole a piece of my heart. Once you met Ron, he lit the room up and everybody wanted to be friends with him. He was just super nice, super funny,” Bookhamer said.
Litzinger’s friends and family will miss both the acts of kindness he did for loved ones, and the simple things that made him such a pleasant human being.
“I’ll miss that big, goofy smile, his sense of humor, his witty comments, his willingness and ability to make people laugh,” Scarmack’s wife, Karissa, said.
Litzinger will be remembered for being down to try and do anything and just wanting to enjoy life. Breck said it was inspiring how free-spirited he could be at any time, all while being willing to give his shirt off his back to anyone.
“Ron had this zest for life. He loved it, he would do what he wanted to do. But he loved his family so deeply, his friends too, he wanted to make sure everyone around him was doing well,” Crystal said. “I will remind my boys about that, to be like uncle Ron, to live every minute to the fullest.”
Nixon said her fiancé’s impact will be seen through his family and the people he cared about.
“You will never meet another person like Ron again, but if you meet his son, Jesse James, you will find a little bit of his humor, saying and personality. Our family is strong and we will keep his memory alive,” Nixon said.
