Richard M. Raia, 94, of Windham, NH, died Sunday, August 25, 2024, in Warde Senior Living, Windham, NH. He was born 1930 in Somerville, MA, a son of Eduardo and Onorina (Tortelli) Raia. He had resided in Windham for the past eight years, formerly living in Londonderry, NH and Lexington, MA, Brookline, MA and Arlington, MA.
Richard had a good run and a full life. His parents were Italian immigrants so Richard was proudly second generation American. After graduation from Arlington High School he went on to Wilbraham Academy and Bates College, and was the first in his family to graduate college.
After graduating with a degree in Chemistry and participating in ROTC he served in the Marines for four years as a pilot landing on aircraft carriers. He also served in the Reserves for several years.
He met Martha Templeton of Centreville MS, while in while in the military in Jacksonville Florida. Richard and Martha went on to have four children and seven grandchildren.
One of his first jobs was in sales at Polaroid where he enjoyed a full career for 25+ years. He later went to work for Comprehensive ID out of Burlington MA and retired from there at 79.
For a period of time Richard and Martha owned a lake house on Lake Ossipee. The family has many fond memories of this time spent together.
He is survived by his daughter, Lyn Toomey and her husband Charles of Londonderry; three sons, Steven Raia and his wife Maxine of Orleans, MA, Michael Raia and his wife Vicki of Wrentham, MA, and Joseph Raia of Millis, MA; seven grandchildren, Joshua, Sophia, Lynsey, Alexandra, Jessica, Cameron, and Daniel, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Martha (Templeton) Raia in 2012, and also by his sibling, William, and by his half-siblings Edward, Eleanor Raia Jones, Anne Raia Schalasny, and Robert.
Following cremation, memorial services will be held on be Friday, September 13th at 11:00AM at Warde's Nursing Home Chapel, 21 Searles Rd, Windham NH. Burial will follow at 1:30pm at Westview Cemetery, Lexington, MA. The Peabody Funeral Homes & Crematorium is assisting the family with arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer ‘s Association.