Ron Holp, the patriarch of pizza in Miamisburg, Ohio, passed away on Sunday, November 3, at the age of 92. He was the founder of Ron’s Pizza, which he opened in 1964.
“[On] Sunday evening, beloved Ron Holp peacefully joined his wife, Abbie, and sons, Paul and John, in heaven,” a statement from the family read. “While our community is grappling with a great loss, we are also blessed with an incredible legacy to celebrate.”
Prior to founding Ron’s Pizza, Holp ran a Cassano’s Pizza franchise in Miamisburg. He opened his own shop on North 12th Street on St. Patrick’s Day in 1964, then moved it to other locations starting in 1999 before settling down again on South Main Street in 2002.
Related: In tragic loss, pizzeria owner raises money to send employee’s body home to Mexico
According to Dayton937.com, Holp was one of Cassano’s first franchisees and served pies to mobster Sam Giancana, who was dating a Miamisburg woman, in the 1950s and 1960s.
Holp also co-created Miamisburg’s Rock ‘N’ Green Tomato Festival in 2012 to celebrate the city and draw attention to local businesses.
“What a dedicated, hard-working, story-telling, true friend and family man he was,” Miamisburg Mayor Michelle Collins told the Dayton Daily News. “Ron made it his mission to make Miamisburg everything it could be through being a part of the original Miamisburg Merchants Association. He had the vision to see what downtown would become and invested in it.”
After Holp’s death was announced, various restaurateurs paid tribute to him on social media. Good Time Charlie’s, a local nightspot for drinking, live music and karaoke, posted, “Ron was an icon, a hero, a guide and someone for us all to look up to and want to be like. He lived and breathed his business all through the years, through the good and bad, and created a staple and a place where everyone wants to be!”
In its own post, Pappa’s Pizza Palace stated, “Ron was truly an icon—an inspiration, a mentor, and a pillar of our community. His passion for his business and dedication to making Miamisburg a thriving downtown will never be forgotten.”
