Marshall Ronald King at 79

“The Gentleman Farmer”

Marshall Ronald King, formerly of Holliston, MA, passed away peacefully at St Camillus Health Center in Whitinsville, MA. on Friday, May 29, 2020.  Born February 10, 1941, Ron had been married to the former Mary E Greenough (deceased) and raised four children in Holliston and Mendon, MA.

Ron was a natural salesman as his outgoing personality, wit and humor earned him loyal friends, customers and colleagues wherever he went.  He spent many years earning top salesman with Engineering Sales of Wellesley, MA, in which he traveled covering most of the Northeast.  In this role he would find golfing friends, extended family members and long-term friendships.

Over the years, Ron branched out to work in industrial, computer and contractor sales, Motel 6 management, golf course maintenance and lobster tank repair and setup.  He was a guy of many talents who never feared a new challenge.   He started working at a very young age and gained a plethora of skills that served him well throughout his life, as was so true of his generation.

Ron enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve in 1958 and served for 8 years.  As losing sight of the shoreline immediately caused his gills to turn green, he served most of his time working security police duty on shore.   He was a staunch supporter of the military, the VFW, and personal protection.

Ron’s family and friends were the most important part of his life and he especially loved becoming a grandfather in which he played a very active and present role.

Ron was always found tinkering around his gardens.  Because of his experience and knowledge of animals and plants, he earned the reputation of “the gentleman farmer”.  He is laughingly remembered for setting a swarm of lady bugs loose on his Mendon neighborhood after reading they were good for killing invasive bug species.

He loved slapstick humor and was always ready to play a joke on pretty much anyone.  His humor and practical jokes will live on as recalled versions of his escapades change and expand over time.

Ron was an alumnus of Northeastern University.  He was an accomplished bowler, an avid reader, loved traveling, and was always the go-to guy at any functions as he was a great listener and communicator.  He had a fun loving spirit and will always be known for having “your back” in any situation.  He loved the 50’s and country music and had a wonderful voice, having cut a few demos in high school.

Ron was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015.  He spent many years bravely fighting the debilitating toll it took on his body and mind before passing quietly, surrounded by family, and his many loving caregivers at St. Camillus.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Michael J Fox Foundation or St. Camillus Health Center of Whitinsville, MA.

The Publishers

2 Comments

  1. Dick Lockwood on May 29, 2021 at 8:07 pm

    Ron I miss you and think of you so so often. You were a wonderful friend ( not such a good shipmate in the Coast Guard on the Unamac — you always blamed me for being in the CG and being sick ) . You were such a great loyal friend and it was an honor to call you my friend.

  2. Michael Greenough on July 23, 2021 at 5:48 pm

    Hey Dad, we were all sitting around talking about you and remembering the good times and many laughs. We miss you, always will but we know that we’ll see you again someday. Love You Dad

Leave a Comment





Categories