Ronald Francis McPhee, 82, passed away on the morning of January 31, 2024 after a long illness. Ron will be dearly missed by his family: his wife of 54 years, Kathleen J. (Meagher) McPhee, and his three daughters, Gillian McPhee and husband Gregory DiCostanzo of Harpers Ferry, WV; Gretchen Eldridge and husband Jason Eldridge, along with grandchildren Owen, Madeline, and Nathaniel of Easton, MA; and Glynnis McPhee, who lives in the D.C. area. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Michael Flaherty of Westwood, MA, and nieces and nephews on both sides of the family. Ron was also adored by the family’s tortie cat, Ginger, who already misses him.
Ron was born on December 16, 1941 to Margaret (Donovan) and Francis McPhee of Jamaica Plain. As a teenager, his family moved to West Roxbury and he graduated from Mission Hill High School. He remained lifelong friends with many of the kids from his neighborhood in Jamaica Plain, who were affectionately referred to as “The Crew.”
He was a proud graduate of the centennial 1963 graduating class at Boston College and was part of Army/ROTC. After graduation, he was stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany for several years then transferred to Monterey California’s Army Language School before being deployed to Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Ron was a Captain in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Brave Rifles). After being wounded in action, he was honorably discharged in 1966. Although he was very proud of his service record, he didn’t often speak of his time in combat. His daughters do remember a story about how he traded a pound of beef with a family in exchange for an anteater, which he took back to camp and set free.
Upon his discharge from the army, Ron graduated from Vesper George School of Art and was later invited to give the commencement address to graduating students. He worked as a commercial artist for H.P. Hood, Sylvania Co., and Ruby Wines. Ruby Wines combined two of his loves: graphic design and wine.
Ron and his wife Kathy raised their family in Scituate, MA where they lived for more than 30 years, trading long commutes to live near the ocean. He loved the water and his daughters remember spending their childhood at Peggotty Beach, where he took them nearly every weekend. He also never met a pool he wouldn’t swim in and was known to do a cannonball or two upon request. He enjoyed vacations with his grandkids to New Hampshire and time at Horse Pond on Cape Cod.
Together he and Kathy traveled to six continents, returning most often to Europe. He also enjoyed golfing, woodcarving, photography, landscaping the yard, and was an avid coin collector and archaeology buff. He was a lifelong fan of Boston College football and all the Boston sport teams. Ron was a “foodie” and his family knew he never passed up an opportunity to try a new spice or cuisine.
He loved history, specifically the Civil War era and Roman history in Britain. An avid reader, he was always reading several books at a time. When his daughters were growing up, he returned from every business trip with new books for each of them.
He and Kathy retired to West Yarmouth, where they lived for more than 15 years. He was a member of Sons of Erin Men’s Club, Retired Men's Club, and the Yarmouth Senior Center. Ron and Kathy had recently moved to Easton, MA.
Services will be private. His ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. Those wishing to, may remember Ron with a donation in his memory to MSPCA-Angell at: https://www.mspca.org/donate-now/ or MSPCA-Angell Attn: Donations 350 South Huntington Ave Boston, MA 02130
Arrangements are under the care and direction of the Sherman & Jackson Funeral Home, 55 North main Street, Mansfield, MA.
To send his family a message of condolence, please visit www.shermanjackson.com.