Dr. Ronald Pruett
Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle, Dr. Ronald Clair Pruett, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2025, near his home on West Beach in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. He was 87.
Ron was born on November 17, 1937, in Philadelphia, the only brother to his sisters Claire and Anne Marie. At an early age, he was a rare combination of brilliant mind, relentless determination, and a deep desire to help others. After graduating as valedictorian of Saint Joseph’s University, he served in the Army Reserves as a surgeon during the Vietnam War and earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1963, before becoming a Harvard Resident at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary (MGH).
He became President of The Retina Associates and focused his research on Macular Degeneration and Myopia for the Charles Schepens Eye Institute. His rigorous medical career earned him international recognition as one of the premier retina detachment specialists in the world. However, what mattered most to him in his medical pursuit was the people whose lives he touched: patients whose sight he restored, students he mentored, and colleagues who became friends.
While medicine was his noble calling, Ron’s greatest joy was his family. Ron and the love of his life of 65 years, his wife, Mimi, were the pillars of a large, close-knit family. He was the proud father of 5 children: Beth Pruett Herbert (Jack), Ron Pruett Jr. (Nancy), Paul Pruett (Liz), Patti Pruett Trow (Brian), and Julianne Pruett Yun (Bill). Ron was also the beloved “Pops” to his 14 grandchildren – Vivian, Kingston, Prescott Herbert; Elizabeth (EB), Katie, Charlotte Pruett; Jack, Kelsey, Billy Pruett; Leighton, Tatum Trow; and Susan, Caroline, Will Yun – each of whom brought him immeasurable joy and pride.
Everything Ron did, he did with intense vigor and an attention to detail that was unmatched. In fact, when Ron retired from medicine at age 70, he returned to a childhood passion-painting. True to form, he pursued it with the same unstoppable discipline and dedication he gave to everything in his life. His work, shown in local galleries, reflected his sharp eye and creative genius. In addition to art, Ron found joy in other creative pursuits, including: music, dance, photography, cars, and of course, landscape architecture, where his vision for beauty and design extended beyond the canvas, transforming his seaside gardens into a colorful majestic masterpiece.
Ron was extremely noble, accomplished and endlessly curious, but what made him extraordinary was his heart. He always gave his very best to his patients, his friends, and, most of all, to his family. His life was a masterclass in devotion, generosity and living with purpose.
He is survived by his wife, Mimi; his 5 children and 14 grandchildren; and his 2 sisters. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ron’s memory to Alzheimer’s Research.
At his request, a Celebration of Life will take place at a later date.