Ronald Louis DeMayo

On July 24, 2021, Ronald Louis DeMayo, loving husband and father of three, passed away at 80. He was born on September 14, 1940, in Attleboro, Mass., to Louis and Albina DeMayo. His first job was a paper route, at age twelve, which eventually led to working as a fly boy for The Sun Chronicle. After graduating high school, he trained to be a mechanic for several years, which led to a job maintaining the heavy equipment used by the city of Attleboro.

After this, he volunteered for service in the army’s 320 MP core and did basic and advanced individual training. When he separated from active duty, he went back to work for the city of Attleboro but soon realized he wanted to get into the medical profession. He applied to x-ray school and was accepted into Pawtucket Memorial Hospital. Over the next few years, he attended Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., working toward an Associates degree by taking night classes.

By this time, Ron had married Patricia Catherine Soper, and they had two young sons, Robert and David. They purchased a house on County Street that also had two small apartments and turned one of them into a beauty shop run by Patricia. On nights when Pat worked, Ron left her with three-year-old David and took his five-year-old son, Robert, with him to Northeastern. Robert especially enjoyed the biology classes. Ron eventually graduated with highest honors.

He was chief x-ray tech at Pawtucket Hospital for ten years. And during this time, he had another child, Kathleen. He then worked for Picker X-ray as an application specialist, demonstrating equipment. Next, he was promoted to film systems manager, supervising thirty people and five warehouses. Then he was moved into equipment sales, covering northern New England, selling X-ray, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and CT products.

In 1978 he moved his family to Hollis, N.H. and formed his own company, Diagnostic Medical Systems. Over the years, all three of his children worked for him, both his sons as bio-medical engineers and Kathleen as an office assistant. In addition, Patricia and his niece, Joanne Sheehan were both employed at different times as the office manager. The home in Hollis sat on a hill overlooking the Nashua River. There were no neighbors and plenty of space, and soon the yard was filled with chickens, goats, pigs, turkeys, a pony and even an occasional cow.

During this time, he became heavily involved with the National Intercollegiate Soccer Official Association, starting as a referee but eventually assigning and assessing referees all over New England. In addition, he coached Hollis summer soccer while David was in high school. He also bought a cabin in northern Maine and developed a large circle of friends up there. A few of them were woodcutters, and one year he took a rare week’s vacation and spent it working by their sides – for no pay – so that he could be with them.

He traveled widely, spending considerable time in Italy, India, Thailand, Australia and Alaska, as well as over a dozen trips to Arizona to visit his son Robert and his family. Ten years after retiring, he went back to work at Southern N.H. Medical Center as an x-ray technician and developed another friend circle.

His biography shows a busy man but fails to speak of what an enigmatic and charming guy he was. People who hadn’t seen him in forty or fifty years still talk dearly about him. He was everyone’s favorite person. He was kind and generous and changed many lives. He was a great storyteller, too, and unfortunately for most of us, he had a knack for remembering those stories that made you blush.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Patricia Catherine DeMayo; his three children: Robert, David and Kathleen; eight grandchildren: Tavish, Saydrin, Martika, Dean, Greg, Sam, Bella and Brittney; and one great-grandchild, Olivia. And also his brother-in-law, Robert Soper and his wife, Jan; his sister-in-law Joan Soper; and many nieces and nephews. Additionally, he is pre-deceased by Jack Soper and Marcia Legg.

Ron had a penchant for “adopting” people who became lifelong friends, among them: Randy Touro, Matt Tafe, Eric Stapelfeld, Chris Cahill, Joanne Sheehan, Brian Legg, Robert Moore, Crystal Houle-Courcy, Diana DeMayo, John Kallfelz and many others. The family would also like to thank Jim Triplett, who dedicated so many selfless hours helping Ron during his final years.

The wake will be held this Sunday, August 1, from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Smith & Heald Funeral Home on 63 Elm Street in Milford. The funeral is the next day, Monday, August 2, and will be at 11:00 at the Parish of the Resurrection on 449 Broad Street in Nashua.