Gary Manning Dion, beloved husband of Jennifer Dion, of Newbury, NH, died unexpectedly at the age of 53 on March 23, 2024.

Born in Westerly, RI, he was the son of the late Norman P. Dion and Mildred (Manning) Dion of Westerly. Gary was a 1988 graduate of Westerly High School and the New Hampshire Technical Institute with a degree in Paramedic Emergency Medicine.

Gary had a lifelong passion for emergency/rescue service. From the early age of 6 and fueled by the TV show “Emergency!” Gary knew he was destined for a career saving lives. Gary completed 36 years as a nationally registered paramedic. He started off in the business at the age of 14, volunteering with the Westerly Ambulance Corps. He was a basic EMT at 16 and an Intermediate at 17.

Gary worked for several ambulance services, including Rockingham Regional Ambulance in Manchester NH, AMR Ambulance in Manchester, Trinity EMS in Lowell MA and Stewart’s Ambulance Service in Meredith NH. He also attended the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord NH and became a certified Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 firefighter. He then started working for the town of Londonderry NH as a firefighter/paramedic. Because of his incredible aptitude and leadership ability, Gary was promoted to Lieutenant in only five years. Over his lengthy career, he obtained many certifications which included Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, Fire Company Officer, Hazardous Materials Technician and Rescue Systems I and II - a small sampling of the incredible resume that Gary built and was continuing. Gary notably responded to New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and, with FEMA, to upstate New York during the COVID pandemic.

One of his proudest moments was obtaining his Critical Care and Certified Flight Paramedic Certification. (FP-C). This allowed Gary to practice high performance pre-hospital medicine. It was here where he became an incredible mentor and instructor to countless hundreds of EMT's and paramedics.

Gary was an avid reader, jokester, always up for fun, could make any uncomfortable/dark situation better with his quick wit and sometimes colorful sarcasm. Gary was a devoted husband and dog-dad to Zoe and Ryle.

In addition to his wife and mother, Gary is survived by his sister Amy Dolahan and her husband John; his brother Andrew Dion and his wife Martha; three nieces Emma Dion, Audrey Dolahan, Hannah Dion and several cousins.

Visiting hours will take place at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce Street, Westerly, RI on Friday, March 29th from 4-7 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to a Funeral Service at the funeral home on Saturday, March 30th at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at St. Sebastian Cemetery, Cobblestone Lane, Westerly, RI. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Upper Valley Humane Society, 300 Old Rte 10, Enfield, NH 03748 or the Westerly Ambulance Corps, 30 Chestnut St., Westerly, RI 02891 in Gary’s memory. For online condolences please visit www.gaffneydolanfuneralhome.com