Richard J. Penta of Hamilton, MA, formerly of Winthrop, Melrose, and East Boston, MA, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026, after a long period of living courageously and gracefully with Alzheimer's disease, lovingly attended to by his son, Greg, and his long-time partner Jo Ann Emerald, at Sunrise of Lynnfield Senior Living Community, where he resided for the past few years.

He was born in 1944 in Boston, MA to Joseph and Philomena "Billie" (Lanza) Penta and grew up in East Boston. Richard leaves behind his son Greg Penta of Melrose, MA, his brother Robert Venezia and wife Karen of Fort Mill, SC, his sister Carolyn Hopkins (and the late Thomas Hopkins) of Tewksbury, many nieces and nephews, Jo Ann and her children, Michael, John, Lauren and Ben of Taunton, MA, his devoted caretakers Nicole Gratiano, Cynthia Vilsaint and the Sunrise staff, and a vast network of cherished friends who were, in every sense, his family.

Richard attended St. Lazarus School in East Boston and served as an altar boy. He graduated from Boston Latin High in 1962 and from Northeastern University in 1967. As a young man, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves. He began his career as a CPA at the “Big Eight” accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., and later worked at Tech Hifi in Cambridge, MA. He earned a Master of Science in Taxation at Bentley University and started his own private accounting business as sole practitioner.

He was a lifelong Transcendental Meditation Sidhi program practitioner since 1974. Richard cultivated a large community of extraordinary, devoted friends from all walks of life and diversity of traditions and persuasions, forming deep and enduring connections, many of whom he shared his home with at various times over the years. He was a passionate collector and connoisseur of fine wines and loved sharing his gift of hospitality with many wine tasting events and dinner and dance parties at his beautiful home on Sagamore Hill, Hamilton, MA. His spirituality was regularly expressed in group satsang and in his love of others. Richard loved to travel, often to Florida, California, and most especially to the American Southwest, where he felt a special connection to the land and its ancient peoples.

He was a collector of American Indian antique and vintage Navajo weavings and textiles, Apache basketry, and Pueblo pottery which he displayed throughout his home and in Southwestern art galleries. Richard loved music and dancing, and was an avid bicyclist, cycling around New England, Florida, Colorado, and California. In 2015, he especially enjoyed an Italian cycling expedition throughout the hills of Tuscany, with his son and close friends. Richard enjoyed a long, enriched, healthy life filled with love, and he will be missed by many, always with great memories to cherish. A celebration of his life is being planned for a later date. To honor Richard’s passion for Transcendental Meditation, we ask that donations be made to: https://payment.tm.org/produc….

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