Reino A Maki

Westminster-Reino A. Maki, 80, It is with heavy hearts that the family announces his  passing from this earthly life. Yet we are thankful that he has gone home to his lord.

He was born in Fitchburg on July 2,1942 to Finnish immigrants  Reino W. and Gertrude (Luoma) Maki. He graduated from Fitchburg High School in 1960. After high school he entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. as an electrical engineering student, he was on the dean’s list and won a scholarship. He then decided electrical engineering was not what he wanted, went to UMass Amherst as an English Major. Straight out of college he taught English to juniors and seniors in Ashland Maine. He then took a job working for the University of Wisconsin as a brand new fieldworker on the newly developed, Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) project. He was one of the three original workers on the project. Upon completion of the project computers were growing in popularity and became an interest he explored extensively . He worked his way up from systems programmer to consultant and project leader at GE in Fitchburg until his retirement. 

Ren enjoyed eating out, playing his guitar, chess and cribbage, canoeing, photography, hiking with his family and traveling for work, with his wife and especially with his daughter Susan. He was a member of the former Turner Hill in Fitchburg, the Eastwood Club, a Chess Club, a member of APICs and Saima Park. His Finnish heritage was very important to him. 

He leaves his wife of 61 years, Shirley I. (Starsja) Maki, whom he met in high school; two sons, Richard E. Maki and his wife Debra of Winchendon and Gary W. Maki and his wife Susan of TX; four daughters, Carina A. Martorella and her husband Michael of Winchendon, Susan Irene Maki of Royalston, Lauren E. Maki and her husband Donald Silk of Amherst, NH and Karyn L. Narvin of Merrimack, NH; fourteen grandchildren Nathan J and Caitlin A. Morand, David Lee Josselyn, Harrison (Gus) Williams Caleb, Chloe, Reagan and Ethan Maki, Mason, Emily, Matthew and Austin Silk; Myles and Kolt Narvin; two great-grandchildren, Maya Morand of CA and Zayden Joslyn of NH; one sister, Kathryn M. Gerow of Dunstable, one brother-in-law, David R. Starsja of FL., two nephews, one niece, one great nephew, cousins and special friends. 

He was predeceased by a son Kenneth David Maki on January 2, 1994. 

The family would like to express special thanks to the amazing staff of Nashua Crossings and Brookhaven Hospice Care for  their compassionate care of Reino during his last few months, (Deepest Thanks

His funeral services will be private with family and close friends. In keeping with his wishes there will be a sharing hour for expression memoirs and stories about him. 

In Reino’s memory donations may be made to The Finnish Center at Saima Park, 67 Scott Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420, or www.saima-park.org

To leave an online condolence please visit, www.mackfamiylfh.com. 

The Mack Funeral Home, 105 Central Street, Gardner, MA 01440, has been entrusted with Reino’s funeral arrangements. 

Kevin J. Mack, Walter C. Taylor and Douglas M. Stone, funeral directors.