John William Wayrynen, Jr., 74, of Charlestown, RI, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 14, 2024, surrounded by his wife, daughter, and dear friends at Apple Rehab Clipper in Westerly. He was the beloved husband of Ramona (Raymond) Wayrynen for 50 years, whom he affectionately called “The Queen.”

Born on February 13, 1950, in Gloucester, MA, he was the eldest son of the late John William Wayrynen and Barbara Ann (Evans) Grant.

John had a deep love for his family and country, proudly serving in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1991 as a missile technician on nuclear submarines. After retiring from military service, he worked for 25 years at Toray Plastics America, ultimately retiring in 2017.

Inheriting a passion for baking from his beloved late paternal grandmother, Amanda, John became known for his delicious cookies. He cherished teaching young people the art of baking, often inviting the children of family and friends over for fun, hands-on lessons in making cookies and banana bread.
An avid golfer through his youth and most of his adulthood, John found joy in watching all the major tournaments on television, even if he couldn’t play the game in recent years. He was a fan of New England sports teams and could be found most weeknights at 7 pm solving the puzzles on Wheel of Fortune and answering questions on Jeopardy with impressive speed and accuracy.

With his soft, deep voice, John always had a story to tell and a dry, humorous remark at the ready.
In addition to his wife, Ramona, John is survived by his daughter, Alyssa Doyle, and her husband, Scott, of Malden, Massachusetts; grand-puppies, Milo and Sushi; siblings James, Catherine, Christopher, and Eric; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Charles “Chucky” Wayrynen, whom he loved and missed dearly as well as his beloved cat Izzy, who only liked him, and he called “the furry princess”.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in John’s name to The Disabled American Veterans – www.dav.org, to donate by mail make checks payable to DAV – Disabled American Veterans P.O. Box 14301 Cincinnati, OH 45250-030 or to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) https://www.aspca.org/. (Please copy and paste URL into separate browser.)

All are welcome to gather on Thursday, October 24th at 10:45 am at the RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 301 South County Trail, Exeter, RI for service with military honors.
For online condolences, please visit www.averyfuneralhome.com