Ronald “Ronnie” E. Hedspeth, 81, passed away peacefully with family at his side on January 20th, 2021 from COVID complications. He was born on February 16, 1939 to Vera (Hedspeth) Foster in Clinton, SC. Ronnie spent his childhood in Clinton, SC, and joined the Navy after high school graduation.
Following the Navy, Ronnie settled in Springfield, MA where he initially worked as a bartender at the Chessman Lounge. A dance is where he met his future wife, Patricia Ducharme. They married in May of 1966, and thereafter raised their three children.
Many of Ronnie’s favorite days were spent watching his children play sports, coaching their teams, having the house filled with neighborhood kids and visiting his family in South Carolina. He loved all Boston sports teams and the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Ronnie thought being a parent was the best job in the world until his grandchildren were born. He spent the last twenty-plus years of his life attending their sporting events, playing games with them, listening to their stories, telling his own stories, watching any movie they wanted (even those they were not allowed to watch). Ronnie even tried to ride scooters with them; however, that did not end well. Dunkin’ coffee was his favorite. Events or circumstances that embarrassed his children were his device to entertain his grandchildren.
He truly would do anything to make his grandchildren laugh. He enjoyed cutting the line at concession stands because he was “too old” to wait, and would demand his admission fee be refunded if his grandson’s team lost because he didn’t pay to watch the other team win. He would typically yell that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then when the other team scored. Needless to say, his witty, crazy and many times inappropriate humor will be missed forever.
Ronnie leaves behind his loving wife of 54 years, Patricia (Ducharme) Hedspeth, his son Ron Hedspeth and his wife Mary (Murphy) of Monson, daughter Jeannie Goldberg and her husband Jim of Lyme, CT, his daughter Mary Blanchette and her husband Robert of Springfield, his ten grandchildren, Emily, Tim, Luke and Liam Hedspeth, Seth, Meyer and Elias Goldberg, Caitlin, Lauren and Bobby Blanchette.
He was predeceased by his brother Gerald Foster and sister-in-law Sue Ducharme. He also leaves behind his sister Freida Spoone, brothers Stan Foster and Tony Foster, sister Gail Blackwell and her husband Brian, and sister-in-law Kathy Foster, all of South Carolina, and his brother-in-law Gerald Ducharme of Springfield, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Services and burial will be private and for immediate family only at the Massachusetts Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. A celebration of his life will be held later when groups are safe to congregate.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Ronnie’s name to Curable, 818 Saratoga Drive, Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, an organization always dear to Ronnie’s heart which works to cure rare diseases.
Wilbraham Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
To view the Live Streaming funeral ceremony at MA Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, please click on the link with the video camera under the services information.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ronald “Ronnie” E. Hedspeth, visit the Wilbraham Funeral Home’s floral store.