John Henry Ronan passed away suddenly at his Salem home on November 19, at the far-too-young age of 61. He lived a beautiful life.

John was born in Salem on August 2, 1959, the second of five children of Hon. John T. and Marcia Ronan. He loved all sports passionately and, at times, hysterically. He was educated at Hebron Academy in Maine, where he would develop a lifetime of close friends with whom he shared countless misadventures that are not fit for publication.

He attended Boston College and then transferred to University of Vermont, where he swam competitively and graduated in 1982. John is a 1985 graduate, cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School. His professional career started in Salem at the Essex County District Attorney's Office where he tried a wide variety of criminal cases. He then entered private practice with Ronan, Segal and Harrington and later with Ronan & Holmes. He was appointed by Governor Baker to his position as General Counsel with the Department of Labor Standards in 2016.

His laugh was legendary. He was most at home in the water. Anything John did, he overdid. He laughed too loud, worked too hard, played too hard, and loved his friends and family with wild passion. "Terrific" was how John would always answer the question, "how are you" – and he meant it.

A former City Counselor, John was fiercely loyal to his home town and loved all things Salem, except the traffic lights.

He is survived by his girlfriend, Sarah Calland, parents, and five siblings: Kelly Marchand of Concord, MA, Mike of Swampscott, Jim of Marblehead, and Marcia Adams of Dorchester, NH, as well as their spouses and his wonderful nieces and nephews.

He is also survived by his best friend, John Henry Ronan, Jr.

A celebration of life will be held in the Summer of 2021. In lieu of flowers, please give your loved ones a call.