Ronald James Mr. Mickel

Ronald James Mickel was born June 16, 1933 at the home of his parents, Laura and James Mickel in north Toledo. He attended Lagrange Elementary, Woodward High School and University of Toledo. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Returning stateside, Ron was stationed at the weather department in Washington, D.C. and was later honorably discharged. Upon returning to Toledo, he married Elaine Baumgartner and together they raised four remarkable and talented children.  After working several jobs as an employee, Ron discovered his true passion in the entrepreneurial spirit.  This took him down an avenue from which he never looked back. He started by joining his best friend, Don Michel, in opening Michaels Beverage Center in south Toledo. There he formed many great and lasting friendships with the neighboring community. Having proven himself as a businessman he took on the next great challenge and started Mickels Paint and Garden Center in the same area. It was soon after, again succeeding in starting and growing a business, that he moved on to opening the Ron Mickel Gallery. It was from here that he nurtured a fondness for art and the idea of mass producing picture frames for the do-it-yourselfer. Soon after, in 1973, ASF Sales was launched and the art world would never be the same. Rons vision for a line of beautiful yet affordable mail order picture frames soon resulted in a full line of art products and in 1983, a name change to American Frame and a move to the present location in Maumee, Ohio. Rons devotion to work and passion for business soon spread to include his four children, Laura, Mark, Dana and Matthew. He was their mentor, their sounding board, and their inspiration. In 2017 Ron passed the torch to a new generation when he sold American Frame Corporation to his two daughters. Today his legacy continues through their vision. In 1985, Ron married Jill Luebbe. Together they enjoyed a life of travel and adventure eventually building a second home at The Sea Ranch in Northern California. Ron was a member of the Belmont Country Club where he served on the board and enjoyed golf with his dearest friends. Ron also served on the board of Mid-Am Bank and American Frame. Ron loved and was loved, and those who had the luxury of his friendship will treasure the man who made them feel better for having known him. Ron was crazy about his grandchildren, Dana Jajko, Michaela Jajko, Elaina Dunbar, Grace Dunbar, Madeline Mickel and Maureen Mickel and great-grandchild, Ella Haas and they were crazy about him too. Surviving are his wife Jill; daughters, Laura (Reid) Jajko and Dana (Chris) Dunbar; and sons, Mark Mickel and Matthew (Becky) Mickel. Due to the current health crisis, visitation and funeral services will be private. To view the funeral ceremony, please visit https://www.facebook.com/mystelias/live at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 16, 2020. Graveside committal services will take place at approximately 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Ft. Meigs Cemetery, Perrysburg. Contributions in Rons honor, may be made to St. Elias Church, 4940 Harroun Road, Sylvania, OH 43560. Please share condolences or fond memories with Rons family by visiting walkerfuneralhomes.com.