Ronald J. Hanisco

Sometimes you meet a person so full of life that you can't imagine it ever being snuffed. Ronald J. Hanisco, who passed away unexpectedly on April 3, 2022, was one such person.
Ron, a resident of Exeter, New Hampshire, spent his childhood in Lansdale, Pennsylvania growing up with his siblings, Raymond and Carolyn. He went to Catholic school and later moved into North Penn High where he became a celebrated competitive swim athlete. He was awarded the title "All American" for swimming and was critical in securing the State Championship title for his team each year that he was in competitive swimming. He was inducted into the 2016 North Penn High School Hall of Fame. He spent a few semesters as an engineering student at Penn State University, but his love for playing guitar was his calling above all else.
Ron (known as Rotten Ron by many in the music scene) was an extraordinary guitarist who jammed with many talented musicians and played for several well-known rock, metal, and hardcore punk bands in Eastern Pennsylvania and South Florida, including Teeze (now Roughhouse), Intruder, P.U.I., and Meatlocker. He opened for several well-known national acts including Pantera, Megadeth, Biohazard, and Agnostic Front; and was featured in many periodicals including Guitar World magazine as a "Hometown Hero". Meatlocker won a South Florida Slammie award in 1992. They were signed by Danish record label Progress Red Records and toured the Eastern U.S. with the metal band, Konkhra.
Ron eventually took a break from band life and developed a passion for aggressive inline skating. He founded a special interest skate publication called LOW (Life on Wheels) with his then-wife, Christine. He spent many sunny days skating the half-pipe and grinding rails with his friends. Soon after that, he took up drag racing his vintage 1979 GMC Sierra pickup truck and bracket-raced every weekend during the warmer months. He also loved to cook and watched cooking shows religiously.
During all of this, Ron worked as a union ironworker for Local 7, Boston. He was extremely proud of his career and helped construct many well-known edifices around Boston, Delaware, Kentucky, and South Florida. During his work tenure, he made many good friendships that span multiple years. He had such love for his ironworker brothers.
If we could sum up Ron in a couple of key characteristics, it would be his love for his sons as they developed into musicians in their own right, his incredibly infectious laugh that got hilariously high-pitched if something was really funny, and his love of off-color jokes. He was truly unforgettable. Some would say a legend.
Ron leaves behind his beloved sons, Mack Hanisco and Angus Hanisco - much too young to lose their father; his sister Carolyn Smagalski (Hanisco), his uncle Ed Hanisco, nephews Ryan Hanisco and his partner Kristian Anderson, Greg Hanisco and his wife Mara Sivak; Aaron Hanisco and his wife Yingji and son Hector; Michael Smagalski and his son Thomas and daughter Bianka; and Tyler Smagalski. He also leaves behind many friends, including his former wife and mother to his sons - Christine Mack. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond L. and Mary Hanisco, and by his brother Raymond F. Hanisco.
Family and friends are invited to join in a Life Celebration and Luncheon at the Joseph Ambler Inn in North Wales, PA on Sunday, April 24, 2022 from 12 o'clock noon until 3 pm. Joseph Ambler Inn is located at 1005 Horsham Road, North Wales, PA 19454.
Because of Ron's love for his pet hen, Kuka, in lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to Chicken Run Rescue via their website: www.chickenrunrescue.org