Ronald Maggio

Ronald Maggio, age 70 of Tavernier, Florida, died peacefully at home with his family by his side.  He was born to Thomas and Evelyn Maggio, and for the first five years of his life lived in Haledon, NJ.  The family moved to Wayne and Ron graduated from Wayne Valley High School with the Class of 1968.  It was during his high school years that he developed a love for snow skiing. Surely his love of skiing influenced his choice of colleges and he continued his education, North of New Jersey, at the Western New England College in Springfield, MA, where he was a member of the Pi Tau Kappa fraternity and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Marketing with the Class of 1972.  Although life brought him to Long Island, New York and South Bend, Indiana he has primarily lived in Florida since the 1980’s.

Ron made his living as a real estate developer, having built more than twenty-five hundred homes throughout south-east Florida.  Of course, the first half of his working life was more of an adventure that included the Griffith Company in Jacksonville, FL which converted Toyota Celicas into convertible “Sunchasers,” Stainless Fittings in Boynton Beach, FL where they manufactured fittings, the Avanti Motor Company in South Bend Indiana, Black Fin Yachts where he built ‘boutique’ yachts in southern Florida, a foundry and manufacturing company that built food service equipment on Long Island, NY and much more.  In 1994, he left manufacturing behind and after one year in the Florida Real Estate market he founded RJM Homes.  He was never one to sit still and never afraid to try his hand at anything.  His brothers were always involved with him at the various places he worked.

Ron was married for thirty-seven years to his wife Susan and they lived the majority of those years in Wellington, Florida, before life took them in different directions.  Despite his busy work life, Ron managed his time well and was very involved with his children.  He was very active in all of his kids activities as they were growing up.  They enjoyed many vacations together and they all worked together as well.  His children recall how he enjoyed tinkering in his tool shed, and going crabbing.  Once he moved to ‘paradise’ in the Florida Keys, he went crabbing all the time, catching more crab than many of the commercial fishermen!  His house in the Keys on the water had an open door policy; he invited everyone and anyone to come enjoy his slice of paradise, and there was always someone sleeping on the couch.  Ron’s house was always the Spring Break destination of choice for nieces, nephews, and 37 1st cousins.  He was very generous and caring and a great host who many knew him as the “King of the Conch Republic”!  Recently he formally retired to the Florida Keys to enjoy boating, diving, becoming a good pirate, catching stone crabs-during season of course.  It was here that he met Susan King-Hynes, his love for the past eight years.  Together, they enjoyed life to the fullest.  His family and friends will all miss him dearly.

Ron is survived by his three children; Kim Bunner and her husband Nick of Loxahatchee, FL, Ron Maggio and his wife Julia Dagan of Lake Worth, FL, and Rick Maggio and his wife Stacie of Wellington, FL, four grandchildren; Ethan, Sage, Mia and Cody, his fiancé Susan King-Hynes of Homestead, FL, a brother; Tom Maggio of Wayne, NJ, and one sister; Donna Ash and her husband William of Wayne, NJ and his late brother Richard “Rick” Maggio (d.2009).

Friends wishing to make a donation in Ron’s memory are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, www.stjude.org or San Padro Catholic Church, Tavernier, FL 33070.