MEDWAY: Richard R. Puleo

Richard Puleo of Medway, MA died January 5th of pancreatic cancer. He leaves behind his wife of 54 years, Donna (Nelson) Puleo, sons Phillip Puleo and Christopher Puleo, daughter Nicole (Puleo) Olson, son-in-law Ted Olson, and his grandchildren: Thomas Olson, Faith Olson, Katy Olson and Maggie Olson.

Visiting hours will be held at Ginley Crowley Funeral Home, 3 Barber Street in Medway ginleyfuneralhomes.com on Wednesday, January 8th from 4pm-7pm. A funeral service will take place at Medway Village Church, 170 Village Street in Medway on Thursday, January 9th at 1:00 pm. A reception will follow in the church’s fellowship hall.

Rich was viewed by all who knew him as a man of deep calm and great wisdom. He was the eye of any hurricane and the voice of reason in every group. As such, he was called upon to participate in many volunteer roles in his church and local community, serving as Elder and Treasurer of MedwayVillage Church as well as sitting on the Board of Directors at Charles River Bank.

At age twenty-three, he taught himself to be an auto mechanic and opened his first gas station and garage in Woburn, MA with his life-long friend, Donald Kraby. They went on to open stations in several other places, the final being located in Wellesley, MA. Together they ran a successful business for twenty-eight years. Rich was widely known as a businessman of integrity and a mentor to the many young men he employed.

In his forties, he changed careers, trading in his toolbox for a laptop after training to become an accountant. He went to work for M. Stanley Metz & Co., Inc., the same accounting firm that had taken care of his business’s finances. Eventually, he joined Verdolino and Lowey, P.C. where he continued to sharpen his accounting skills. Later, he returned to M. Stanley Metz where he ultimately became Managing Partner. Most of his clients were repair shop owners, and he made personal weekly visits to each, forging meaningful relationships with them along with navigating their taxes. He also mentored his younger co-workers, helping them to develop not only their accounting skills but also their long-term goals, and then partnering with them to achieve those goals. Throughout his career, he was much more than a colleague; he was mentor, father, counselor, and friend.

He was a deeply committed husband, father and grandfather who invested his time, his generosity, and his heart in his loved ones. He was devoted to his wife of fifty-four years, Donna. Childhood sweethearts, they knew each other for over seventy-one years- and yet he never failed to surprise her with the many aspects of his personality, talents and interests that slowly unfolded over the decades. With his children, he was a storyteller, a pumpkin carver, a pitcher, a project manager, a driving instructor and all-around funny-guy. He taught his grandchildren to paint, to fish, and to observe the world around them like they were Sherlock Holmes. In return, they brought out his silly side and delighted in his nutty hijinx.

Soft-spoken and deeply introspective, he was an excellent listener and conversationalist. Though he often appeared serious, underneath lay a rapier wit and a great capacity for mirth. He possessed a formidable intellect and a keen memory. One of his great disappointments was that his family refused to play Trivial Pursuit, having been trounced by him one too many times.

He was a gentle man of simple tastes who found joy and contentment in the small things. One of his favorite things to do was to hang out on his deck, quietly observing the goings-on of the birds and small woodland creatures in the vicinity. Before long, he amassed a small menagerie of wild friends who crept onto the deck to commune with him, including “Squeaky” the squirrel and “Fluffy” the feral cat.

Rich was quiet and unassuming, more often found on the edges of a crowd than in the center. He preferred watching to being in the spotlight, and listening to speaking, yet the impact he had was front and center in the lives of those fortunate enough to know him.