Richard Bruce Gada Sr.

May 26, 1942 – September 10, 2025

Richard B. (Dick) Gada, Sr. passed away at home on Wednesday, September 10th surrounded by his loving family. He is predeceased by Donna Lee (Lewis) Gada, his devoted wife of close to 48 years, and his parents Gaetano L. (Guy) Gada and Mildred I. (Gustafson) Gada, all from Niantic, CT. He leaves behind two daughters, a son and their spouses: Karen and Alan Marryat of Marshfield, MA, Carol and Richard Cave of East Lyme, CT, and Richard and Courtney Gada of Niantic, CT. He will be sadly missed by his extended family: his sister Barbara (Gada) Wells of Niantic, CT, his sister-in-law Joanne Genette and brother-in-law Tom of Ipswich, MA, grandchildren Daniel, Jessica, Ryan, Conor, Mallory, Brendan, Isabelle and Samuel and great-grandchildren Owen, Liam and Nora. A life-long resident of Niantic, he also will be missed by his wide circle of friends, many of whom visited him in his final days and hours to say goodbye.

Dick started working at Guy’s Oil, founded by his father Guy, when he was in his teens although early photos show him there when he was 9 or 10. As an adult, he generally worked around the clock, seven days a week. Even after he took over the business from his dad, it was not unusual for him to be out delivering oil all weekend, taking wrecker calls in the middle of the night or servicing a customer’s broken oil burner on Christmas rather than asking an employee to handle it. His children fondly remember going on service calls and learning about business and life while he was driving. A savvy businessman, he had an uncanny knack for understanding the economy, when to invest and when to divest. This included discontinuing the Guy’s Oil candy counter, much to the disappointment of the neighborhood children (including his own.)

Dick was a fiercely loyal family man and friend. He was an exceptionally hard worker, and yet he found time to enjoy his family and friends. In later years, he and Donna enjoyed traveling to Europe and around the US, but St. Maarten captured their hearts. They made many happy memories there.

He truly loved his hometown, and was a generous supporter of, and volunteer at, many organizations throughout the years. Dick was a proud member of the Niantic Rotary Club for over 40 years serving in many different capacities, including president for two terms. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow, one of the Rotary Club’s highest honors, several times for his service. He was a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus Council 5633 and served as a trustee of the St. Agnes Church for many years where he was also a Eucharistic minister. He was a lifetime member of the Niantic Fire Department, a respected board member of the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association for over 30 years, and a member of the Towing and Recovery Professionals of Connecticut association.

Dick will be remembered for his warmth, humor, generosity and integrity, values that were important to him and that he valued in others. A mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Agnes Church on Thursday, September 18th at 11 am. There will be a reception in the church hall following the mass. Calling hours will be held at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, 13 Lake Avenue in Niantic, CT on Wednesday, September 17 from 4 pm to 7 pm.

Our family would like to thank his team of caregivers, especially Veronica, Magna, and Jen for their tender care and kindness. They took exceptional care of Dick as well as Donna during their long illnesses and have become like family.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations in Dick’s memory be made to the Niantic Rotary Charitable Foundation, PO Box 339, Niantic, CT, 06357 or Care and Share of East Lyme, 12 Roxbury Road, Niantic, CT 06357.