Richard “Rick” Allen Zimbone, of Needham, MA, age 75, passed away on Thursday, February 26, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Born November 3, 1950 in Dorchester and raised in St. Leo’s Parish, he was the son of the late Evelyn and Joseph Zimbone. Rick was the devoted husband of 51 years to Kathy Zimbone, with whom he built a life grounded in love, partnership, and community. He was a proud father to Mike Zimbone and Katie Sullivan, and he loved his daughter-in-law, Amy Zimbone, and son-in-law, Tim Sullivan, as his own. His greatest title was “Ba.” He adored his grandchildren — Liam and Declan Sullivan and Owen Zimbone — and rarely missed a game or milestone. He is also survived by his brother, Paul Zimbone and his wife, Tamsin, along with many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
A graduate of Boston College High School, Rick earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University, where he played football, and later received his MBA from Boston University. He began his career at Boston Edison before founding Envapower, which he successfully built and sold. He later founded Prime Directions and mentored entrepreneurs at MIT, offering wisdom, perspective, and steady guidance to the next generation of leaders.
Rick served as Vice Chair of the Charles River Center Board, was the former Chair of the Needham Finance Committee, served as a Town Meeting member, and was Past President of Needham Golf Club — always willing to give his time and leadership to strengthen the town he loved.
He found joy on the golf course at Needham Golf Club alongside longtime partners who became lifelong friends. He enjoyed gatherings with his book club and poker group and proudly held the role of “outlaw” to the Kennedy family, especially cherishing the annual trips to Long Beach Island that created decades of laughter and memories.
Family was the center of his world. He traveled the globe supporting Katie during her years swimming competitively in college and on the U.S. National Team, later becoming a swim official himself. He spent countless hours on the baseball field with Mike — coaching youth teams and helping found Needham Summer Baseball. As a grandfather, he eagerly learned the ins and outs of hockey and lacrosse, driving from Canada to Baltimore to cheer on Liam and Declan and proudly supporting the Arrows at St. Sebastian’s School. He delighted in learning about dinosaurs, U.S. presidents, and ocean creatures with Owen, matching his curiosity fact for fact and question for question.
Rick was the steady presence in his family — the strong one, the rock everyone leaned on. He will be remembered for his leadership, generosity, humor, and unwavering devotion to those he loved.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Bartholomew Church at St. Sebastian’s School, Needham, on Tuesday morning, March 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. In honor of Rick and the many hours he spent on the course, golf attire is encouraged.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Rick's memory may be made to The Jimmy Fund, an organization close to his heart:
danafarber.jimmyfund.org.
.