Ronald J. Pantano, MD

Dr. Ronald Joseph Pantano passed away peacefully in his home in the early hours of September 21, 2026.

Ron was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on April 12, 1945, the son of Costantino Pantano and Mary (Ricciardi) Pantano. His grandparents, Mario and Concetta Pantano, were also central figures in his early life and helped shape the values and strong sense of family that Ron carried with him throughout his life. He attended Classical High School in Providence before enrolling at Providence College, where he studied from 1963 to 1967.

In the fall of 1967, Ron moved to Italy to attend the University of Bologna Medical School, where he was joined by Mary King, also of Providence. The two were married in 1968 and made Italy their home until returning to the United States in 1974. This October would have marked their 58th wedding anniversary. After a brief externship at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Providence, Ron and Mary settled in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1975. Ron completed his residency at Memorial Hospital and the newly opened UMass Medical Center before opening his own medical practice in 1979. He continued caring for patients in the Worcester community until his retirement in 2016.

Ron was a dedicated and compassionate physician who made caring for people his life’s work. He built a large practice over the years, but his patients were never simply patients to him. He knew them, listened to them and cared about their lives. Many became close personal friends. He continued making house calls late into his career and was always available to his patients, often taking their calls at all hours of the day and night.

But medicine was only one part of who Ron was. He was a scholar and a gentleman in the truest sense. He was gentle, kind and patient. He treated everyone he met with respect and dignity, regardless of who they were or where they came from. Ron was always willing to listen before offering his opinion never needing to be the loudest person in the room. There was a quietness and steadiness about him that made people comfortable and earned their trust.

Family to Ron extended well beyond his immediate household. He treasured his relationships with his extended family and embraced the spouses and partners who became part of the family over the years as his own. More than anything, Ron simply loved having his family around him. He was the loving father of four sons: Eric, David, Christopher, and Ronald Jr.. The loss of Chris in 2018 had a profound impact on the entire Pantano family, and particularly on Ron. It was a loss he carried quietly and deeply for the rest of his life, and one that remained with him until his last breath.

Ron was also the proud Papa of five grandchildren, Cole, Luca, Dominik, Daniela and Stella. He cherished the time he spent with them and took great pleasure in passing along his wisdom, his patience and his endless collection of terrible jokes.

Ron was a longtime parishioner of Christ the King Church in Tatnuck Square and spent many years coaching with Worcester Youth Soccer. He was a constant presence on the sidelines of countless soccer and basketball games for his four boys and, years later, for his grandchildren. He took great pride in simply being there, watching the people he loved do the things they loved.

For all that Ron accomplished in his life, he will be remembered most for the person he was and the way he treated people. He was kind, patient and generous with his time, and he had a way of making people feel comfortable and cared for. Whether someone knew him as Dr. Pantano, Ron, Dad or Papa, they knew someone who listened, who genuinely cared and who made people feel that they mattered.

Ron is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 58 years, Mary; his sons Eric and his wife Tina, David and his wife Yen, and Ronald Jr. and his partner Jess; his five grandchildren, Cole, Luca, Dominik, Daniela and Stella; and his brothers, Mario and his wife Cathy Pantano of Columbia, Maryland, and Richard and his wife Grace Pantano of Plymouth, Massachusetts. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and extended family members who were an important part of his life.

Funeral services and visitation will be held on Sunday, October 18th from 11am-1pm at Mercadante Funeral Home, 370 Plantation Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, immediately followed by a celebration of Ron’s life (location TBD). Burial will take place in the morning of Monday, October 19th at Worcester County Memorial Park in Paxton.