Richard P. Companion

COMPANION, Richard P.
86, passed away on November 27, 2020 after a long illness. Dick was born in Claremont, NH, the son of the late Madeleine Hoisington Cox and Alfred Arthur Companion. He was the brother of the late Janet Cheney, Dinwiddie, VA and the uncle of the late JoAnn McCoy, Bracey, VA. Dick leaves his wife of 56 years, Marie Bergantini Companion and his beloved children, Kirk Companion and his partner Dr. M. Erica Zimmer of Boston, MA and Dr. Michele Companion and her partner, Howard Bufkin of Colorado Springs, CO.
Dick grew up in the rural town of Auburn, MA and lived in the 1768 "Capt. Eddy House" that his parents restored. He graduated from Auburn High School, received his B.A from Clark University in Worcester, MA and his MBA from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
After university, Dick enlisted in the US Navy and become a Navy pilot in Pensacola, FL. He later became the commander of a Navy Patrol Plane flying between Brunswick, ME and Keflavic, Iceland monitoring Soviet activities in the North Atlantic. It was a dicey assignment for the captain and his crew since they encounter blizzards where visibility was zero and being close to the Magnetic Poles, the electrical systems on board frequently went haywire. After naval duty, Dick moved to Providence, RI and became manager of the Accounting Dept. at New England Telephone. He met Marie in Providence and he became an enthusiastic member of the Bergantini clan. He loved Mary and Al, the aunts, uncles, cousins and especially "the fabulous Bergantini sisters" and their spouses. Angela and Dante Ionata, Jean and Stephen Grillo, Nancy Bergantini, Gerri and Peter Williams, Patricia Bergantini and Peter Costakos. In 1969 Dick became the head of the Information Technology at Wellesley College and the Companions moved to Wellesley, MA. Dick became very involved with bicycling and joined the North East Bicycle Club of Boston. He became president of the club in 1972-73 and set up training rides, races, and social activities for the club. He enjoyed being a mentor to young cyclists and one of his protégés went on to win an Olympic Gold Medal. In 1978 Dick became a Special projects Manager at Verizon in Boston. He had a dozen computer programmers who reported to him and he held them to the highest standards. While working in downtown Boston, Dick became very interested in wine and became an oenophile going to wine tastings reading every book available on grapes and cultivation. He visited every winery in RI, CT, NY, as well as vineyards in Umbria and Tuscany. He liked sharing his latest wine discoveries with family and friends and every visitor left with a bottle of wine to try. When Dick retired from Verizon in 1990, he began helping his new neighbors who were young first-time home buyers. Dick had a home workshop with hundreds of tools and he became the go-to-guy if your bicycle needed repairs or if a blown fuse had to be replaced. For his quiet good deeds, the nine young families on Martin Road nominated Dick for the 1998 Wellesley Award. Dick received the award at the annual awards banquet that year.
In 2000, the Companions moved to Tiverton, RI to be closer to the Bergantinis and Dick discovered a new passion, sea kayaking. He took lessons from the pros and perfected the 'Eskimo Roll.' He and his best friend, David Normandin went kayaking on the Sakonnet River from Fogland Beach to Sakonnet Point stopping only to cage some fresh oysters from Peter, the local oyster farmer. In 2008, Dick developed a severe auto-immune condition along with COPD, and Spinal Stenosis. He was in the ICU at RI close to death when a team from Brown Medical School saved his life. He was able to live 12 more years thanks to Dr. Edward Lally, Dr. Richard Millman, and Dr. Katherine Richman, who closely monitored Dick's condition and kept him healthy. He had to give up kayaking and the Companions moved to Warren to be near medical facilities and his doctors.
Dick enjoyed seeing his neighbors, chatting about what exercise bicycle to get, and playing with their dogs who he just adored. He knew the names of all the landscapers and passed out bottles of wine to them. He loved sharing his wine and his Punt e Mes with his Ionata-Grillo nieces and their families as well as the carpenters Paul Baker and Jimmy who were renovating the condo at Bagy Wrinkle. As he became more handicapped and needed a wheelchair, Dick relied on his helpers Debbi and Sandy who brought a lot of cheer as they took him to medical appointments and then to Aiden's Pub for lunch. After several severe respiratory illnesses, Dick needed oxygen and full time care. He met many wonderful caregivers, Dr. Whelan, nurses Bethany and Denise, CNAs Maria, David, Amber, Kelli, and many others who looked after him until he passed away.
Dick supported many organizations and he was a member of the John Muir Society of the Sierra Club, the Warren Conservation Land Trust, a 20 year supporting member of Blithewold Mansion and a member since 1974 of WGBH/WCRB.
There will not be a memorial service at this time but hopefully next summer there will be a service as well as a dinner for friends and family in celebration of Dick's life.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Dick's memory to Blithewold Mansion and Gardens Flower Fund, 101 Ferry Rd, Bristol, RI 02809.
His final words were "sta bene" stay well.
Arrangements are in the care of Wilbur-Romano Funeral Home, Warren, RI.
www.wilbur-romano.com