Paul R. Bellant

Hardworking, kind and caring were just a few of the characteristics of Paul Bellant. He was a gentle giant with a huge heart that always looked for the best in everyone and he tried to remind others to do the same and not be so quick to judge others. Whether you knew him as Paul, Dad, PawPaw, Tall Paul or Big Daddy, he left an impression on all and left so many too soon.

With the United States' Great Depression becoming a faint memory by 1950, many families were moving out to the suburbs. Times were gentler with little violence around the country and the consumer revolution was about to start in a big way. The first independent credit card company was created in February and kids watched Howdy Doody on 12 inch black and white TV sets and spent Saturday afternoons watching cartoons at cinema matinees. On November 20, 1950 in Bay City, Michigan Paul R. Bellant was welcomed into the world by his parents, Irwin R. and Denaige (Suriage) Bellant.

After Irwin and Denaige had six daughters, Paul was the firstborn son. They grew up in Bay City and as a boy he was involved with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. With a large family, you either had to cook or clean so Paul chose to learn how to cook from his mom. He graduated Bay City High School in 1969 and he received a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in Anthropology. His first job after college moved him to Chicago, Illinois for a brief time, then he took a manager's position for National Car Rental and then Budget Rental Car at the Fort Wayne International Airport in Indiana.

One evening after work Paul ran into Denise Ball, whose brother was a friend of his and the two would go on to talk for several hours. It took 6 months and some encouragement from some friends and Paul asked Denise if she and her daughter would like to join him on a picnic at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. From there on out, they became best friends and on May 15, 1981, he married Denise Ball at New Hope Lutheran Church in Ossian. They would make Ossian home, living in Sandlewood until they moved to Crooked Lake in Whitley County in 2002 where they built a new home together.

Paul left the rental car business and took a position with CTS Corporation in Berne and C&M Fine Pack in Fort Wayne. As a Human Resource Manager, he saw how some people's upbringing affected their adult life. With that impression in his mind, he volunteered his time with Child Appointed Special Advocates (C.A.S.A.). He also took great pride and dedication in being a volunteer at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. He treated his position like a job and he enjoyed working on the giraffe platform and preparing food for the penguins. Paul was an avid Chicago Bears and Cubs fan. He enjoyed going with his family to watch the Cubs play and the previous year, he was able to share his joy of watching them when he, his daughter and granddaughter all went to Cincinnati to watch the Cubs play the Reds.

One evening while driving home from work he passed through Dunfee and saw a church there that had a midweek Bible study. He soon began attending and that would lead him to become a member of Dunfee Missionary Church, where he served as congregational president, a Deacon, and he was active with their Men's Breakfast and Midweek Bible Study. Paul enjoyed bowling, he attempted to play golf after being told it would be relaxing but nothing was more relaxing to him than driving his pontoon around on the lake. He loved being out in nature and being with his Crooked Lake family and seeing everyone having a great time together.

On Monday, January 7, 2019 Paul suddenly passed away at 6:45 pm at Parkview Whitley Hospital in Columbia City. He is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Denise Bellant; daughter, Monica Bellant; granddaughter, Harper; sister, Angie (Dale) Anderson, of Mission, Texas; and brother, Dennis Bellant, of Oak Harbor, Washington. He was preceded in death by parents, Irwin R. and Denaige Bellant; and sisters, Vicki Anderson, Almina Kimball, Fran Davies, Cathy Guzman, and Nancy Bellant.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 2 p.m. at Dunfee Missionary Church, 818 W County Line Road, Fort Wayne. Memorial gifts may be given in his memory to Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, C.A.S.A. or Dunfee Missionary Church. Arrangements with DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Dr., Columbia City. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send his family condolences online.