NAUGATUCK — Ronald P. Waranowicz, 76, of Naugatuck, passed away at St. Mary’s Hospital on March 8, 2019 after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his devoted family throughout his care. He was born in Waterbury and was a lifelong resident of Naugatuck. He was the son of Anthony and Lottie (Matejek) Waranowicz.
He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, JoAnn (Magnarella); his three children, Donna Marie Warren (Naugatuck) and her daughter, Morgan Foss, Cynthia Fitzgerald (Branford) and her husband, John, and their son, Aidan, Ronald Paul Waranowicz, Jr. (Randolf, N.J.) and his wife, Krista Kempski; and his sister, Marcia Myhre (Guilford). He also leaves behind several nieces and nephews and his beloved “girls,” Abby and Allie, his inseparable Pomeranians.
He attended Prospect Street School and then went on to graduate from Kaynor Technical High School in Waterbury, where his intense interest in the automotive industry began and continued to be a lifelong passion.
After graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy, where he served on the USS Warrington and the USS Barney as an electronics technician. The skills he learned while serving in the U.S. Navy he later incorporated into his job with the Southern New England Telephone Company, where he worked as an installation and repair technician for 28 years. Upon his retirement from SNET, he rekindled his interest in the automotive sector, often attending car shows and the races at Lyme Rock with his friends and car enthusiasts, Ed Rybczyk and James “Ras” Raskowski. He purchased a 1960 Cobra car kit and spent the next five years in the garage meticulously assembling the vehicle. It was his masterpiece.
In the last few years, he came to miss many of his close friends who had predeceased him, especially James Regan, who was his lifelong friend. These losses caused him to reflect on his own wishes. Therefore, there will be no calling hours and his burial will be a private ceremony for immediate family. The Naugatuck Valley Memorial/Fitzgerald-Zembruski Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements and notes of condolence may be left on its website.
The family would like to express their gratitude to the entire staff at Cheshire House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and St. Mary’s Hospital. Their kindness, care and support were immeasurable.
Donations in his honor may be sent to the St Mary’s Hospital Foundation, 56 Franklin St., Waterbury, CT 06706.
