Obituary of Randy Zaninetti

Randy (Randolph) Zaninetti, 75, died peacefully at his home in Hallowell, Maine on Sunday, June 18, 2023 after a long illness. He was born March 13, 1948 in Huntington, Long Island, New York, the son of Rudolph (Rudy) Zaninetti and Pearle (Lee) Holden Zaninetti. Randy graduated from Walt Whittman High School. Following graduation he and his family moved to Lincoln, Maine where he attended and graduated from The University of Maine at Orono with master’s degrees in Business Management and Accounting. Randy excelled in college and was hired before he graduated by GTE in Needham, Massachusetts in the finance department where he quickly moved to Chief Financial Officer. He stayed with GTE for over 17 years. He then purchased a 31 room motel in York Beach, Maine, The Lighthouse Inn and Carriage House. This was a very successful venture in which Randy retired in 2014.

After retirement he and his wife Shelley enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. each spring and fall in their motorhome and spending summers at their home in Hallowell, Maine, and winters at their winter home in Jensen Beach, Florida. Traveling was a retirement plan of Randy’s as he had traveled with his family across the U.S. early in his life and again with a lifelong friend Reese Hurley during college.

Randy reminisced working for his grandfather, father, and uncle in their restaurants, the Villa Victor and the Villa Dora on Long Island, New York while in high school. He loved the ocean and frequently visited Acadia National Park while attending college. He enjoyed beach walks at his Florida home and creating artistic pieces in his spare time from shells he had collected. To some he was known as the "Shell Art Guy". He truly loved entertaining; from winter get-aways and hosting wine tastings with his friends, Chuck and Gail Barno at his motel in York Beach, Maine, to small gatherings with close friends for "wine tastings" on the island where he lived in Florida, as well as family gatherings at his home in Maine.  Above all, his greatest love was his workshops. He even managed to makeshift one aboard his motorhome for traveling. He loved sharing his skills with friends and helping them with anything they needed at any time. He built beautiful pieces from his own mind. If ever he was missing, he could assuredly be found there with his 60's music playing quietly in the background.

Randy is survived by his wife Shelley and her three children: Jeffrey Pyska, his wife Billie-Jo, and children Megan, Jake, Kenzie, and Jace Pyska, Jared Buntin, his wife Sadie-Jo, and children, Trevor Lajoie Wakefield, and Natalie Buntin, Josh Buntin, his wife Bobbie’Jo, and their children, Brock, Ryker, and Emberly Buntin. He is survived by his sister Brandee Zaninetti Doane, her son Blaine “Spike” Clemons, his wife Marcia, and their son Gage Clemons, his niece Branielle “Gaye” Bergeron, her husband Robert “Bob” Bergeron and their children Kaylee and Kasey Bergeron. Randy is also survived by his sister Candee Zaninetti McCafferty, her husband Douglas “Doug” McCafferety, nephew Kegan Barrett and niece Mickelle (McCafferty) Gleason, her husband Kyle and their children Freya and Elias Gleason. Randy is predeceased by his parents, Rudolph and Pearle (Lee) Zaninetti, and his brother-in-law, Luke B.Doane.

An informal gathering as a Celebration of Life will be held in Randy’s honor on Saturday July 8th, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m on at his home at 58 Overlook Drive, Hallowell, Maine 04347. Due to the time of day please join us for a finger buffet. There will be no service. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to: www.mainegeneral.org/hospice.
 

A sincere thank you to MaineGeneral Hospice team members and volunteers who provided comfort and complete loving care for Randy in his final days.