WEST BOYLSTON- Richard Burnette Stark, 81, passed away in his home on
January 6, 2017 surrounded by his loving family.
Mr. Stark was born in Holden on June 23, 1935, son of the late Arthur
and Mildred (Burnette) Stark. He attended local schools and graduated
from the former Worcester Boys Trade School in 1954. He enlisted in
the Massachusetts National Guard and was called to active duty where
he proudly served his country while stationed at Fort Dix. Richard
began work at Wyman-Gordon Company where he was employed as a
machinist for 13 years. In 1969 he began a 29 year career at United Parcel Service.
Mr. Stark was a member of the North Worcester Fox and Coon Club and
enjoyed all that nature had to offer, especially bird watching. A skilled woodworker, Richard spent countless hours in his wood shop. He took great pleasure in making birdhouses and dollhouses for his family and friends. He was an avid Red Sox and New England Patriots fan, a war history buff and particularly enjoyed watching the Military History Channel. Richard was also interested in finding out all he could about his ancestry which was traced back many hundreds of years. He was very proud of the fact that he was a descendant of Major General John Stark of NH, a hero in the Revolutionary War at both the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Bennington.
Throughout the years he and his family enjoyed trips to Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and York, Maine, where they would always stop to see Nubble Lighthouse.
He leaves behind his wife of 60 years, June C. (Sauer) Stark; a son, Kenneth Stark and his wife Kelly of Shrewsbury; a daughter, Penny Bowman and her partner Tim Carlin of Charlton; his twin brother, Robert Stark of Boylston; a brother, Raymond Stark of Grafton; a sister Barbara Thomson of Leesburg, Florida; three grandchildren, Kayla Stark, Kyle Stark and Annaleigh Bowman; and many nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, Richard is predeceased by his brother, Kenneth Stark.
The family would like to thank Dr. Venu Bathini and the nurses and staff at at UMASS Memorial Medical Center Worcester, Oncology, 5th and Infusion, 6th Floor, for their wonderful care and kindness, especially nurses Pamela Holland and Anita Kraseski. The family would also like to thank the nurses and staff at Beacon Hospice for the phenomenal care that they provided to Richard, especially nurse Nancy Gagne for her love and compassion.
A Graveside Service will be held on Wednesday, January 11th at 10:00 AM at Pine
Grove Cemetery, Scar Hill Road, Boylston. There are no public visiting hours. The family requests that flowers be omitted and instead memorial donations may be made in Richard’s memory to the Beacon Hospice, 529 Main St., Suite 101, Charlestown, MA 02129