Richard Gasbarro, of Delray Beach, Florida, and formerly of Medford, passed away suddenly, on Monday, August 28th in Stoneham. He was 72.

Born in Boston, he was the son of the late Jesse and Adeline (Moschella) Gasbarro and attended local schools. He furthered his education at Bentley College and earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Richard worked for Hewlett-Packard for thirty years and retired from Tufts University in 2009.

Following retirement, Richard moved to Florida but often visited his loved ones back home. He was a family oriented man and loved his children and grandchildren more than anything. His children describe him as selfless, respectful and quiet. Richard was a schooled and intelligent person, often found in contemplation, though he loved a spirited debate. Richard’s son-in-law Andrew enjoyed debating theories and subjects of varying degrees. Whether or not he agreed with the topic, Richard respected the other person’s point of view and it always ended with a handshake and smile.

Richard was a loving and devoted father, passionate about being present and having fun with his children. He treated them with the respect and dignity that he expected them to have for others, and nurtured them with love and patience. When his children were young he volunteered to coach their basketball teams and in the winter time, he would take his boys ice skating. Unlike the boys, Richard never fell down, but to joke with his sons, he’d ask, “Did anyone fall down out there today?” They would always finish their ice skating trip with laughs and a visit to McDonalds for french-fries.

Richard was a big fan of sports, and sports history. He was also an avid college football enthusiast. Upon moving to Florida, each year he and his son Matthew would pick a university within the state and attend a college football game. He and Matthew would root for the home team. They were just happy to spend their time together. Richard enjoyed politics and history. He loved the back story that lead to what things are made from. He and his son Marc often shared similar interests, ideas, and debated about various topics such as weather, military history, and current events. He often would kid with Marc that he, as a weather forecaster, had the only job where he could be wrong and not be fired. Though Richard enjoyed many scholarly topics, he also had a love for baking. He and his son Luke have many memories of making desserts together. One that stands out is of the Italian rum cake. Richard would put an extra splash, or two, of the rum for added flavor. He was also famous for his ricotta pie. Richard would often make his family taste test his other desserts that he was trying to master such as his apple pie and lemon squares and meringue.

In his spare time, Richard loved to watch films. When Netflix came to be, he was on board with streaming videos right away. His favorite character was James Bond from the 007 movies. The character James Bond sparked an interest in old classic cars and sports cars. He also enjoyed classic films from when he was a child and found great peace in listening to classical music.

Richard was the beloved husband of Lena (Randazzo) Gasbarro of Medford. He was the devoted father of Marc Gasbarro and his fiancée Vivian Smith of VA, Luke Gasbarro and his husband Andrew Hagopian of Washington DC, Matthew Gasbarro and his wife Klenda Martinez-Gasbarro of Belmont. Richard was the loving grandfather of John and Valentina, and the dear brother of Jesse Gasbarro and his wife Joanne of Medford, Joey Gasbarro and his wife Linda of ME, Tony Gasbarro and his wife Mary of CO. He was a cherished nephew of Louie Stifano of Medford.

His funeral will be from the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main Street, Medford, on Wednesday, September 6th at 10AM followed by a Funeral Mass celebrated in St. Raphael Church, 512 High Street, Medford, at 11AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday from 4 through 8PM. Services will conclude with interment in Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions in Richard's name may be sent to the charitable organization of One's choice.