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Ronald Edson Darroch

Ronald Edson “Ron” Darroch, 87, husband of the late Audrey M. Darroch, passed away Sept. 21 at Artis of Branford, following a brief illness. He was the son of the late Roy E. and Marion M. Darroch of South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.

Ron is survived by his former wife, Mary Porter Gunderson and their three children, Ronald Edson (Edna) Darroch, Jr., Laura Darroch (Steven) Capasso, and Lynda Darroch (Richard) Barker. He also leaves his six grandchildren, Emily and Mathew Darroch, Cole and Tara Lauro, and Devyn and Darren Barker; his much-loved grand-dogs and cats, and many friends.

Born Dec. 23, 1934 in Waterbury and raised in Weston, Massachusetts, Ron was a talented and dedicated athlete who played baseball, basketball, golf, and tennis throughout his life. He was an avid fan of the Boston Celtics and Red Sox. He shared this passion with his mother and passed his infectious enthusiasm and strong ethic for sports onto his children, grandchildren, teammates, and competitors. Ron loved competition or anything that brought on strategy and teamwork.

In 1957, Ron received a Bachelor’s in economics at Colby College and then received an ROTC commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Based in Bossier, Louisianna, he became a navigator in the 301st Air Refueling Squadron. Ron settled in Connecticut to raise his family while taking pride in his career in sales and product management with Burrough’s Corporation and Reed-Roberts Associates. He was fondly known as “Joe Nav” in the neighborhood and regularly shared his USAF knowledge. He later became a private aircraft pilot.

Ron and Audrey retired in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, where he volunteered as a driver for the Carova Beach Fire Department and later moved to Key Largo, Florida. Along his life journey, Ron celebrated sobriety for 34 years by carrying the A.A. message and guiding countless people while graciously accepting the same from them.

A private memorial service is planned in Athol, Massachusetts. Donations in Ron’s memory can be made to Mayo Clinic Support Alzheimer’s Disease Research (https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/page.aspx?pid=1506&gclid=CjwKCAjwm8WZBhBUEiwA178UnEoeU-KsTXN-n05V8K8sqvrfH7ymYTl57Aw7crtFMe0HJnHpmztVcBoCKP8QAvD_BwE).