Richard L. Ronan "Papa"

Obituary for Richard L. Ronan "Papa"
Richard L. Ronan, lovingly known as “Papa” passed away Saturday June 17th 2023 in Walhalla SC at the age of 84. Richard is survived by his dear wife and best friend of 53 years, Laurie (Teddy) Ronan, their daughter Julie Ronan of SC and granddaughter Caitey (who nicknamed him Papa), their son Michael Ronan of NC, daughter in law Shelby and his granddaughters Charlotte and Maeve. He also leaves behind three beloved children from his first marriage Laurie, Ricky and David Ronan of RI and MA as well as their families.

Richard was born in Fall River, MA to Raymond Ronan and Ruth Davol Ronan. His mother Ruth remarried when he was very young to Patsy Favazza from whom he leaves behind his brother Salvatore Favazza of MA, his wife Gail and their family. He is predeceased by his sister Rhoda Barker of FL, from whom he leaves behind her husband Wayne and his nieces Ruthie, Lisa and Heidi. He also leaves behind a half-brother from Raymond’s second marriage, David R. Ronan of MA and his family.

Richard joined ROTC in high-school which led him to proudly serve in the US Marine Corps. He was stationed in SC, NC, Paris Island, Puerto Rico and elsewhere. He was a Veteran of the Korean War.

Richard’s life, both before joining the Marine Corps and after his honorable discharge is one full of twists and turns so complex and numerous only a pirate or rebel could truly understand. Richard could best be described as a Marine who attended the first Woodstock. A man who loved rock and roll, reggae, all things psychedelic, sailing, outer space, science fiction, nature, environmental and bigfoot. He was proud to share his stories and his children were thankful for the adventures he would take them on; finding fiddler crabs at Sapowet Marsh, riding horses under the Sakonnet bridge, a random trip from NH to Dixieland just to buy illegal fireworks, a Sunday drive to the beach just to flip over rocks and look for sea creatures, driving through the woods on the way back from getting ice cream, where he would pretend aliens were stealing the gas from the car, a trip to the mountains to slide down rocks in the river, just to name a few.
In his later years, when he lived in SC where they weren’t illegal, he delighted in filling his wagon up with a heaping load of fireworks to light on the 4th of July. He was most certainly part pirate, part rebel, but always a husband and father.

Richard was very mechanically inclined and had an innate ability to fix things. This led him to a career in Plant Engineering and Facilities Management taking him all over New England working for various companies. The pinnacle of his professional career came in the late 80s helping oversee the renovation of the Amoskeag Mill buildings in Manchester NH. Up until his death, his ingenuity and knack for fixing things led him to become the man his family would call on to help fix anything. He was also the healer, the hero, and bailor for any situation that went awry for the entirety of his life.

He was an incredible cook and was considered by many a chef. He could make a meal out of anything and instilled in his children and grandchildren a love for trying virtually everything unique and “good for you”. His children may remember picking sassafras or getting paid a nickel for collecting dandelions for soup. “Try it, you might like it” was his motto. His culinary skills and passion called him to rebel against his corporate job, leaving it to open a food truck called Hot Stuffers in Nashua NH. His Greeley Park customers raved about his amazing tacos and he was famous for his chili dogs. Fresh authentic local ingredients served out of a renovated camper. Papa was ahead of his time helping pave the way for the food truck farm-to table food revolution of today. His family will especially miss his homemade spaghetti, fondue dinners and lobster boils.

Richard was a huge animal lover. There were always animals in the Ronan household; horses, dogs, hamsters, turtles, fish, reptiles and parrots of all kinds. He would save countless baby animals from blue jays to bats, hand feeding them and rearing them until they were able to survive alone. Most of all he loved his dogs and was the guy who always had treats in his pockets. His most recent dog “Bear” will miss him immensely. Over the last year of his life he shared joy with his wife watching wild song birds at their feeders, the deer who would wander into the yard and the magic of fireflies around their home.

He had an undeniable green thumb and could grow just about anything. There were always tons of plants, flowers, all kinds of herbs, and fruit trees growing in his yard. He loved nature and was also an avid outdoorsman who absolutely adored camping, wilderness survival, skiing, and fishing. He loved and respected the ocean, would walk for miles finding things in the seaweed, making rock puzzles, and digging for clams and quahogs with his bare feet. He took all of his kids camping from the time they were babies, sometimes in his VW bus, and instilled in them a love for nature and the outdoors for which they will be forever grateful.

Papa was a gentle soul with a massive heart. He was far from perfect, often quiet and kept pain to himself, but he would give everything he was able. He had an infectious smile and the kindest eyes. He brought light to everyone around him with his jokes and teasing. His wife, children, grandchildren, and pets were the joy of his life. He became especially close to his granddaughter Caitey in helping raise her. They had a very special bond and he will always be considered the dearest person in her life. His death leaves a massive hole in the lives of all those who loved him and he will be missed always.

A private service will be held at a future scheduled date and location in New England. For more details, please reach out to the family directly. If you have any pictures, fond or funny memories, please feel free to share.

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