WEST NEWFIELD – John Roger Tamaro passed away at the age of 86 on March 5, 2022, at Gosnell Hospice in Scarborough after a long battle with heart disease. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 21, 1936, son of the late Frank and Ida (DeChiara) Tamaro.
After graduating Valley Stream Central High School on Long Island, John joined the U.S. Merchant Marine at age 17, earning money to attend the University of Maryland. Called to service in the Army, he served at Fort Devens and became a medic.
John was a systems engineer at IBM in New York City and married Dorothy Cairns, his wife of 58 years. Always a pioneer, John moved with his wife and young daughter to Caracas, Venezuela, to work for Shell Oil in 1967. After the oil industry was nationalized, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to start his own business in computing and leading-edge technologies.
After returning to the states full-time, John and his wife resided at their beloved home at Balch Pond--onto which he proudly designed an addition. He enjoyed the outdoors, was interested in environmental conservation, and was an active member of the West Newfield planning board for several years.
John loved sports and baseball, especially his boyhood favorite Brooklyn Dodgers. In Venezuela, he enjoyed recreational racing with the Shell Oil Sailing Club. Always interested in fitness, he played squash and softball as a member of the Caracas Sports Club. John was an avid runner, participating in the New York City Marathon eight times, and he enjoyed hiking Mount Washington with family and friends.
John is survived by his wife Dorothy Cairns Tamaro; daughter Dede Tamaro and her partner Dre Reznik of Brooklyn; brother Richard Tamaro and his wife Marjorie of Long Island; brother Robert Tamaro of San Francisco. John was a beloved uncle and great uncle to many nieces and nephews, including Richard, Jr. and wife Lana, Christine, Sean and wife Nicole, Janet, Michael, their children and families.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Natural Resources Council of Maine, www.nrcm.org.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Buxton, www.mainefuneral.com