Richard B. “Ricky” Donegan, age 54, of Beverly, formerly of Woburn, passed away on January 5, 2026. He was the loving father of Mackenzie Donegan of Melrose.
Born in Woburn, Ricky was the son of Inara “Rita” Donegan and the late William “Bill” Donegan. He was raised and educated in Woburn and graduated with honors from Woburn High School with the class of 1989. He attended Bunker Hill Community College and worked as an electrician for Comcast for many years.
In his spare time, Ricky was a voracious reader who particularly loved Stephen King, science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical books and shows. He also enjoyed playing basketball, a good game of Risk or a chess match, and listening to alternative, indie/folk music and rock n’ roll music– especially Guns N’ Roses.
Ricky was a true New England sports fan who loved the Larry Bird Celtics era. He also loved to box and spent hours practicing on his punching bag in the basement. Ricky loved spending time with his daughter Mackenzie, who he often referred to as his proudest accomplishment, and teaching her history, reading, watching their favorite movies and shows including Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Lost, Stranger Things and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. He will be remembered for his incredible intellect, his talent for writing, enjoyment of journalism and historical discussions. Mackenzie described Ricky as a very kind, profoundly intelligent, empathetic, funny and passionate man, especially about his beliefs and values. He could befriend just about anyone, as he was always the most social, welcoming and loquacious person in any room—no stranger remained a stranger for long.
In addition to his daughter Mackenzie, who he lovingly nicknamed, “Macka”, Ricky is survived by his mother, Rita. He was also the brother of the late William “Billy” Donegan, also known as “Smiles”.
A Memorial Visitation will be held at the Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St., Winchester, on Tuesday, February 3, from 5-7PM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Ricky’s name may be made to the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health https://www.mamh.org/contrubute.donate