Richard Guy “Dick” Mercadante, Sr., 91, of Tewksbury, died peacefully on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Bedford.
Born in Boston on March 18, 1935, he was the son of the late Gaetano Thomas and Velma (Miller) Mercadante. Dick grew up in Brighton and graduated from high school there. In his mid-twenties he served three years in the United States Marine Corps, stationed at Mount Fuji in Japan and later in the Mediterranean. After his service he came home to Brighton and went to work at the shipyard in Charlestown.
Dick raised his family in Newton and later Waltham before settling in Tewksbury, where he lived for more than 40 years. He worked at a few places over the years, but most of his career was the nearly 20 years he spent as a dispatcher for St. Johnsbury Trucking Company in Cambridge.
Dick loved magic. He went to magic shows whenever he could and collected magic paraphernalia for years. He was also an avid roller skater and spent many hours on the floor at Wal-Lex in Waltham. Most of all, he was a devoted and faithful father. He never missed a Saturday with his kids while they were growing up, and he always made it a great day.
Later in life Dick loved his routines, and he and Heather went to just about every restaurant in New England. He enjoyed people and made friends wherever he went, whether it was Jimbo at the post office or Elvira at the bank.
Dick leaves his children, Richard G. Mercadante, Jr. and his wife Karen of Hudson, Mark Mercadante of Hudson, and David Mercadante of Florida; his five grandchildren; his sister, Diane Mercadante of Weymouth; and his former wife, Heather Mercadante of Tewksbury. He was the father of the late Lisa George and the brother of the late Thomas Mercadante and his wife Ann.
Funeral Notice: Relatives and friends are invited to visiting hours on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10 to 11 AM at the Tewksbury Funeral Home, 1 Dewey St., Tewksbury. His funeral service will follow at the funeral home at 11 AM. Burial will be in Tewksbury Cemetery, 172 East Street, Tewksbury.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/