Charles E Ronayne

Funeral from the Carroll-Thomas Funeral Home, 22 Oak Street, Hyde Park Wednesday (April 3) morning at 9:30AM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Most Precious Blood Church, Hyde Park at 10:30AM.  Visiting hours Tuesday (April 2) evening from 5-8PM at the Carroll-Thomas Funeral Home.  Interment at Blue Hill Cemetery, Braintree.

Charles Edward Ronayne, sweet and sensitive, a consummate gentleman , departed from this life on March 21, 2024, in Braintree, Massachusetts. Born  March 19, 1951, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, he grew up in Dorchester and resided later in Abington and for many years in Salem. Charles was a man whose intellectual brilliance and kindly demeanor touched the lives of all who knew him. He was the cherished son of the late Edward McCarthy and Eileen (Ronayne), and a beloved brother, cousin, uncle, and great uncle.

A graduate of Boston Technical High School in 1969, Charles excelled academically, graduating first in his class. He carried this excellence into his studies at Northeastern University, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering in 1974. His dedication in this field was evident in his impressive career as a civil engineer at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, where he dedicated 46 years to improving the water infrastructure of Massachusetts. His involvement in the design, construction, and implementation of the new sewage treatment facility on Deer Island in Boston Harbor was a testament to his commitment to the community, the environment, and his profession.

Though a very solitary man, Charles was known for his love of music, particularly the timeless tunes of The Beach Boys. His talent for music manifested early. By the time he was in his teens Charles was playing both acoustic and electric guitar with notable skill.

Charles's intellectual curiosity was profound and deeply idiosyncratic. He found pleasure in the abstract world of geometry, creating intricate problems and working them out in hundreds of closely-written notebooks, an activity he pursued with increasing intensity as the years went by. This unique pastime was a window into his methodical and extremely private nature.

He is survived by his loving siblings: Eileen Fleming DeLuna and her husband Victor of Amesbury, Catherine Pansey and her husband Gary of Melbourne, Florida, Anne MacDonald and her husband Ivan of Hyde Park, Joan Melville and her husband Steven of Melbourne, Florida, Patricia Manning and her husband Jack of Palm Bay, Florida, Mary Frances Bexfield and her husband Edward of Melbourne, Florida, and Edward McCarthy, Jr. and his wife Jeanney Sugito of Melbourne, Florida. His departure is also deeply felt by his many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and most recently the friends, nurses and caregivers of the Braintree Manor Health Care Center, who cared for him with great tenderness. At Braintree, Charles felt he was at home.

Charles’ life journey, from Little League at Ronan Park in Dorchester to the halls of academia, and the vast projects that have shaped the skyline of Boston Harbor, is a narrative of quiet achievement and steadfast purpose. His gentle spirit and shy, though friendly, nature made him a beloved figure, and despite the difficulties and obstacles that he encountered in his life, he maintained a strong spirit of independence and self-reliance, which ended only in his last years as his health declined.

Charles’s life is a testament to the beauty of a solitary journey marked by intellectual pursuits, love of music, and the subtle humor of his unique personality. As we bid farewell to this remarkable man, we find comfort in the knowledge that his memory will live on in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to know him. Charles's journey on this earth has ended, but we who loved him look forward eagerly to joining him in that wondrous place where there is “no crying and no dying,” and where the Beach Boys sing their cheerful songs of youth and joy forever.

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