Warren W. Rea

Warren W. Rea, of Waltham, passed away peacefully on Thursday May 1, 2025 at the age of 100 years.

Warren was predeceased by his wife, Bertha.

He will be greatly missed by his children, Nancy Rea (and husband David Wilson) of Concord, William Rea (and wife Rachelle) of Natick, and Carolyn Rea of Burlington, North Carolina; his dear grandchildren Charlotte, Nadine (and husband Levi), Victoria, Daniel and Elizabeth (and husband Allan); and his two great grandchildren Ida Mae and Whitman.

He also leaves his nieces Barbara, Leslie, Amy, Sherie, and Jennifer. Warren was predeceased by his sisters, Doris Malkiel and Jeannette Davis, his brother, Perley Rea, his dear grandson Evan, and his son-in-law James Michael (Mick) Halpin.

Warren was born in Lawrence on February 10, 1925, the first son of George A and Charlotte (Perley) Rea. He grew up on the family dairy farm in North Andover, helping with the cows, the planting and harvesting of strawberry, corn, apple, and peach crops, and the tapping of maple trees along their road to make maple syrup.

He served in the United States Navy during World War II and learned radar technology in the early days of its development. After his discharge from service, he graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and was a member of Tau Beta Pi. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserves until 1959.

He worked for Sylvania in Waltham and in Texas and later at American Science & Engineering in Cambridge. His work included NASA space projects. In 1979, Warren joined Panametrics, then in the old Waltham Watch Factory building and stayed 25 years until his retirement.

Warren caught the ski bug as a boy watching skiers on the farm’s hilly pasture. He and his siblings took to the sport and it became a lifelong love. Warren and Bertha practically raised their children on the slopes of New Hampshire and Vermont. Warren skied into his 90’s.

Fishing was another passion. Warren owned a boat with his brother-in-law, Bob Snyder. They went on frequent sea fishing trips, had great fun, and usually returned with a haul of delicious fresh fish.

Carrying on the family farming tradition, Warren for many years cultivated a prolific vegetable garden. Among the highlights of its plentiful and varied crops were melt-in-your-mouth strawberries, descendants of his father’s plants. Engineering and flying kites was another hobby. He flew them so high one would lose sight of them in the sky. In golfing and bowling, he earned many trophies.

He was a dedicated runner, neighbors saw him nearly every day on his several mile run, in later years jogging, then walking, into his 99th year.

Warren loved his Panametrics “family” and planned several company ski trips to New Hampshire and Maine. He also shared his fishing passion with his friends at work, planning party boat fishing trips out of York Harbor. His friendships have continued through the years.

Family and friends will honor Warren’s life by gathering on Friday, May 9th at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Avenue, Bourne where committal services with military honors will be held at 10 a.m. There are no calling hours.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Warren’s name may be made to MSPCA, 350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02130 or an animal shelter of your choice.