Donald Dominick Romanello, known to most as Don, passed away unexpectedly on April 13th, 2026, in Ashland, Massachusetts, at the age of 70.

Born on June 14th, 1955, in Stamford, Connecticut, Don lived a life marked by love, sensitivity, and passion. He was a proud Italian-American, raised with strong family ties to his beloved Salerno-born grandparents, Domenico and Maria Sgritta. He maintained a deep Catholic faith, having been an altar server at St. Mary’s Church in Stamford during the 1960s and a member of St. Cecilia’s parish in Ashland until his passing.

Don graduated from Stamford Catholic High School in 1973 and later took evening courses at Boston University’s Metropolitan College from 1994-1995, where he most enjoyed studying Nuclear Physics. Don spent 40 years with the United States Postal Service, including 29 years as a Letter Carrier in Natick and Framingham, Massachusetts, followed by 11 years as a Mail Handler in Framingham. Known to his post office buddies as “Donnie”, Don always talked fondly about his time as a union member of the National Association of Letter Carriers, his memories of local union picnics, and his former coworkers, especially Jack Savage, Judy Kobosky, and Chuck Carroll.

From 1981 to 1986, Don was a taxi driver with Town Taxi and Checker Cab in Boston, Massachusetts, where his love of Boston’s history shined through and many passengers enjoyed impromptu city tours on the way to their destinations. From 1974 to 1982, Don periodically worked at his father’s HVAC company, Metal Aire, Inc. in Stamford, when he wasn’t zipping across the country to catch the next Grateful Dead tour.

Don was a lifelong Deadhead and attended more than 250 Grateful Dead shows over the course of his life. Music was one of his greatest joys, and the experiences he gathered through travel and live performances became treasured memories. He especially loved San Francisco, first visiting in 1974 and returning many times for Grateful Dead shows with his lifelong friend Kenny Flemming. He also cherished his time in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and annual trips to Block Island, Rhode Island, with his family. His travels took him throughout the United States and Europe, and he always remembered his 1978 trip to Italy with his parents and his 1972 trip to Spain with Mr. Prieto’s Spanish class fondly.

Photography was another great passion in Don’s life. He documented his world in more than 50,000 images, preserving moments large and small. He especially loved shooting 35mm film and Kodak Ektachrome slides, and his photographs became a lasting reflection of the places he visited, the people he loved, and the life he built. Through his camera, he captured not only scenes and landscapes, but also the spirit of his experiences.

Above all else, Don would say that his daughter, Amy, was his biggest accomplishment. He devoted himself to loving her and creating meaningful experiences they could share together. This included countless trips to amusement parks and rollercoasters, including Cedar Point, Hershey Park, and annual visits to PlayLand in Rye, New York. Over the years, they shared numerous father-daughter dances, Girl Scout field trips, and road trips together. Don also passed on his love of the Grateful Dead to Amy, bringing her to see Robert Hunter in 1997 (her first concert at just two years old) and enjoying countless shows together since then, including Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Peter Frampton, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & Rat Dog, Furthur, the Dead, and Dead & Company.

Don and Amy also enjoyed many weekend trips into Boston to ride the “T”, visit the Children’s Museum and the Boston Science Museum, attend Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics games, or share dinners at his favorite restaurant, Panza, in the North End. That tradition continued through Amy’s years at Northeastern University and beyond. No matter where Don went, he was always thinking about Amy, and the bond they had only grew stronger in recent years. The two shared many late-night phone calls to catch up, talk about life, or discuss Amy’s latest scientific publications. Don especially cherished his 2018 trip with Amy, where they spent a week exploring Prague and Madrid together. In December 2025, Don finally had the joy of visiting Amy in Berlin, Germany, where she has lived since 2018. Together with his best friend and former wife, Mollie, they explored Berlin, visited the dome of the Bundestag and the Brandenburg Gate, and celebrated Christmas in Amy’s neighborhood of Neukölln.

Don is survived by his daughter, Amy Romanello of Berlin, Germany; his former spouse, Mollie Romanello of Ashland, Massachusetts, to whom he was married for 34 years and remained close friends; his older brothers, Daniel Romanello and Andrew Romanello Jr. of Norwalk, Connecticut; his nephew, Justin Romanello of Nashua, New Hampshire; his niece, Lisa (Romanello) Brady and her husband Patrick Brady of Norwalk, Connecticut; his aunt, Mary-Ann (Romanello) Tartaglia of Norwalk, Connecticut, as well as several cousins and great nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his mother, Catherine (Sgritta) Romanello and his father, Andrew Romanello Sr., both of Stamford, Connecticut.

Don will be remembered for his gentle nature, his deep emotionality, his intelligence, and the passion he brought to the things he loved. He lived with curiosity, devotion, and a huge appreciation for family, music, travel, and photography. His memory will remain a source of comfort and love to all who knew him.

A memorial mass and celebration of life will take place near Stamford, Connecticut. Details will be provided as soon as possible.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to help Donald’s daughter, Amy, with the mounting expenses associated with arranging her father's funeral and estate.

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