Isabella, the beloved Golden Retriever owned by MR Inter-national’s Max Recone, passed away peacefully last month at his home in Connecticut. It was an extremely sad day for Max, who had traveled 248,000 miles with his canine companion during the 11 years she was with him. Now Bella, as she was known to many in the tanning industry, rests underneath her favorite tree in Max’s backyard while his many wonderful memories of her remain in his heart.

Though Bella’s passing was devastating, it did not come as a surprise. Max explained, “I knew this day was coming. She was 11 years old, which is 77 in human years, and in addition to diabetes and related kidney issues, she had difficulty standing because her back legs had become so weak.” On the morning of her passing, Bella awoke very sick, which Max recognized as a sign that she was near her end. Picking her up and carrying her outside, he laid her beneath the large tree she loved to sit under and wait for squirrels. After giving her a bowl of water, he promptly called the veterinarian. “They told me to bring her in,” he recalled, “but I didn’t want a veterinary clinic to be the last thing she saw, so they told me they could send someone out by 2pm.”

“I was completely surprised and very touched to discover that Supre Tan made a $200 donation to the Connecticut Golden Retriever Rescue, and Devoted Creations made a $500 donation to the Connecticut Humane Society. Their gestures are extremely touching.” – Max Recone

As it turned out, Mother Nature was merciful with the gentle soul that Max loved so much. “Losing her was awful,” he commented, “but it couldn’t have happened in a better way. I stayed by her side, petting her and telling her how beautiful she was, and she lifted up her head and looked at me, then she laid back down and closed her eyes for good.” The weather had been overcast and raining on the day of Bella’s passing, yet Max swears that after placing his dog in her final resting place, the clouds parted briefly to allow the sun to peek through and shine down upon her grave, if only for a moment. “I’m usually not one to believe in those types of things,” he added, “but I took that as a sign that she’s all right and appreciated everything I’d done for her.”

Although Bella is gone, she’s not forgotten, especially by the many tanning professionals whose lives she touched. As news of her passing began to spread, many people contacted Max to offer condolences; others made charitable donations in Bella’s name. As Max explained, “I was completely surprised and very touched to discover that Supre Tan made a $200 donation to the Connecticut Golden Retriever Rescue, and Devoted Creations made a $500 donation to the Connecticut Humane Society. They didn’t have to do that; their gestures are extremely touching.”

In the spring, Max plans to purchase another Golden Retriever from Bella’s breeder. “My new dog will be from the same bloodline as Bella,” he said, “so hopefully she’ll have the same calm, sweet disposition. I look forward to hitting the road again and introducing my new dog to all my friends!” ■

Remembering Isabella

Tanning professionals from every sector are mourning the passing of Isabella Recone, a dog that came to represent the spirit of the tanning industry.

During her 11 years in the indoor tanning industry, Max Recone’s Golden Retriever Isabella, aka Bella, touched the lives of many tanning professionals from every industry sector. To gather the thoughts of everyone who has fond memories of her would require a separate issue of IST Magazine! Here are but a handful of those who fondly remember Bella, the gentle dog who showed up to salons and tradeshows in an RV and won the hearts of an entire industry …

“Who could ever forget Bella? From the first time I saw her, I knew she was special and I feel honored to share my thoughts about her life as I knew her. Being California Tan Exclusive and an MR International shareholder, I was always there when Max would hold meetings at most of the tradeshows. Bella was always by his side, even when she was in the booth with us, and she knew we all loved her. Everyone always wanted to rub her and feed her, and she loved every minute of it. She was one special dog. Rest in peace, Isabella, as you go on to Doggie Heaven. You will always be remembered.”

Frankie Burrell
Silver Sun Tan USA

“It was a given that whenever you would see Max, Bella would be right there with him. When we were setting up our booth one time at the International Tan Makers expo in Boston, in walks Max with dark sunglasses on and Bella on a leash. Because the hotel wasn’t pet -friendly, he had said she was his service dog; I was sure he was going to get caught, but he never did! The day of the expo, she lay at his feet the entire day while he worked his booth. I was directly across from them and couldn’t stay away; I kept going over to pet her and scratch her belly. I’m sure I’m not the only one who will miss seeing Bella’s sweet face this travel season.”

Maggie Curran
Supre Tan

“Bella was more than just a companion to Max, she was really his best friend, business partner, psychologist and wingman, so to speak. Without Bella there by his side, Max would never attract as many women as he did! Max, Bella and I have been many places together and she would just lay there in the middle of a restaurant or function room, all sprawled out and enjoying everyone’s company. She was such a beautiful, well-behaved, class-act dog and everyone would comment on her. She was the icon of MR International, and she’ll definitely be missed, no doubt about that!”

Roy Fonseca

“From being in my office during meetings or looking for extra food at tradeshows, I have many fond memories of Bella. My most vivid and memorable moment was from five years ago: I had just changed clothes for dinner on a summer night and as a few of us climbed into the vehicle to go to the restaurant, Santo handed me a towel with a smile. I said, ‘What’s this for?’ and he replied, ‘You’ll find out soon.’ Well … I did. As we were all getting ready for dinner, Bella thought she would grab an early evening swim in the pool. She proceeded to get out of the pool, come through the house and jump into my lap in the backseat of the vehicle! I remember how happy she was and how she didn’t have a care in the world. I couldn’t help but just laugh and smile. She was an amazing girl and I will miss her.”

Lewis Henry, President
Devoted Creations, Inc.

“The first time I really got to know Bella was the MR International show in Tampa, FL. We were at a cabana by the pool and she was wandering around, greeting all of us. We all petted her and gave her hugs. The next thing I knew, the food was served; the chef was slicing prime rib and Bella sat by the edge of the table, waiting for a piece to fall. Eventually she started mingling again because people would feed her, and they also dropped food. When I got my picture taken with her, her eyes never left that prime rib. I’m sure she went back to the room very full! Bella was always eager to greet everyone and always had a doggy smile and a happy tail. She was so good at shows and while she was visiting URI, and she would sit wherever Max was and just watch all the people. She was a great dog and I will miss her.”

Heidi A. Palmer
Outside Sales Rep
Ultraviolet Resources International

“Over the years, I have been blessed to get to know so many people in this industry, and Max Recone is by far one of my favorites. He’s an amazing friend, a beautiful mind and a special kind of soul, and Bella wasn’t just his dog, she was family. She was invited everywhere and even had a tanning lotion named for her, which is more than most people’s wives get! Bella was a beautiful animal and just as kind as the man who raised her. I loved her and I will miss her dearly. Thank you Max, for all the years we’ve had and all the ones to come! Thank you for your sense of understanding, your sense of humor and your compassion!”

Brook Taylor, CEO
All Hours International
Tanning Distributors

“I have so many sweet memories of Bella, like the time she was a puppy and I took her for a walk, but she walked me instead. She greeted anyone who walked into the offices with those big brown eyes and warm smile, and she was the hit of our training meetings. One time, Max came to see me in Chicago and my nephews started screaming, ‘Uncle Max and Bella are here in their house on wheels!’ The most cherished moments with Bella are the tanning conventions. She was definitely our mascot, and she loved to see everyone and welcome them to our booth. By the end of the day, she was so exhausted from playing hostess that she would sprawl out in the middle of the booth and take a little snooze. When people saw her, they would immediately gravitate to her to give her belly rubs and hugs. She was so popular that when people saw Max they would say, ‘Where’s Bella?’ She was a true companion, sweet and loyal, and she’ll truly be missed.”

Wendy Whitman
National Training/Sales Representative
MR International