Ronald M. Mottl
American lawyer and politician (1934–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ronald Milton Mottl (February 6, 1934 – October 13, 2023) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the Ohio General Assembly for multiple decades. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served four terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1983.
Ronald M. Mottl | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 1981 | |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – February 5, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | June Kreuzer |
| Succeeded by | Ron Mottl Jr. |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 23rd district | |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | William Edwin Minshall, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | District eliminated |
| Member of the Ohio Senate from the 24th district | |
| In office January 3, 1969 – December 31, 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Francis D. Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Jerome Stano |
| In office January 3, 1967 – December 31, 1968 | |
| Preceded by | At-Large |
| Succeeded by | Gertrude Polcar |
| Member of the Parma City Council[1] | |
| In office 1960–1966[1] | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ronald Milton Mottl February 6, 1934 |
| Died | October 13, 2023 (aged 89) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Debra[2] |
| Children | 4[2] |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BS, JD)[1] |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army[1] |
| Years of service | 1957[1] |
Early life
Ronald Milton Mottl was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Miroslav Václav Josef Mottl and Anna Hummel, a couple of Czech descent.[3] His father, an immigrant from Počaply, died from chronic valvular heart disease when he was 11.[4][5] His mother, born in Pittsburgh to parents from Kvaň and Mýto, remarried to Václav Schovánek from Kladno.[6] Mottl graduated from Parma Schaaf High School in 1952 and later was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame.
College and military service
He attended the University of Notre Dame for which he played baseball in 1955.[7][1] He served in the United States Army Reserves in 1957.[citation needed]
Career
Mottl was a lawyer, and served on the city council of Parma, Ohio from 1960 to 1966[8] and the Ohio state legislature from 1967 until 1975.[citation needed]
Congress
Mottl served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1983.[1] A conservative Democrat, Mottl was an ally of Ronald Reagan's legislative agenda.[9] In 1982, Mottl lost the Democratic primary[1] to Ed Feighan, thereby losing his seat.[10]
Return to state legislature
Mottl returned to local politics, serving on the Parma school board from 1985 until 1986, and as president of the school board in 1986, until he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served until 1997.[1] He was also an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of North Royalton, Ohio in 1999.[citation needed]
Personal life
Mottl had four children.[9] Ronald Jr. and a daughter are from his first marriage and a son and daughter are from his second marriage to Debbie.[9] Ron Jr. was a representative in the Ohio House of Representatives for one term from 1997 to 1998 immediately succeeding his father.
Death
Mottl died on October 13, 2023, at the age of 89.[11]
