Benjamin Joseph Tatro

Our community is at a great loss with the passing of Benjamin J. Tatro 37, of Swanzey, NH on May 26, 2018, while scuba diving off the coast of Gloucester, MA. He died pursuing a sport that he truly loved.

Ben’s parents, Bruce L. and Elizabeth G. (Dahl) Tatro, proudly welcomed their son into the world on July 30, 1980 in Keene, NH.

However, there was no greater pride in the Tatro family then when Ben married his best friend, Sarah Paulson, and the couple welcomed their two daughters, Mia and Maddie, into the world, as Ben’s entire world centered around his family.

He grew up in Swanzey, attending local schools and was a 1999 graduate of Monadnock Regional High School in Swanzey. While in high school, Ben excelled at playing football, and was the varsity team captain and member of the All-State Team 1 and Team 2 for 2 years.

A gentle giant with a huge heart, Ben followed his dreams of helping others. His successful career in helping others, although all too short, began as a lifeguard at Swanzey Lake while he was in high school. He became a member of Meadowood, enrolling in their explorer program at the age of 14. Following graduation from high school, Ben attended NHCTC in Laconia, NH, majoring in Fire Science and Fire Investigation.

He resided in Penacook, NH for four years where he worked for the Loudon (NH) Fire Department and was the founding member of the Professional Firefighters Association Local 4129, an accomplishment he was all so proud of. Returning to Swanzey, Ben worked for ten years with the NH State Department of Transportation as a foreman in Cheshire County. During this time, he was also a member of the Swanzey Fire and Rescue Department, at that time known as the East Swanzey Fire and Rescue Company, moving up through the ranks to Lieutenant. He was also a fire officer for the company’s ladder truck Station 3.

Ben left the DOT to continue to pursue his dreams of helping those in need in any way that he possibly could. He completed his Advanced Emergency Medical Technician requirements in November of 2015. As a member of the Swanzey Fire Department, Ben found his niche and his love for diving, becoming a member of the Water Rescue Task Force and Vehicle Recovery Team. His devotion to fire service spanned over 23 years of service to his community!

As if his dedication to the fire service was not enough, Ben continued to pursue his dream of helping others by enrolling in the River Community College in Keene, pursuing a degree in nursing. In addition, at the time of his passing, Ben was working as an emergency room technician at the Cheshire Medical Center / Dartmouth Hitchcock, Keene, a position he truly loved, affording him the many opportunities to care for and help the many folks he encountered, all in days’ work.

As if all of these work responsibilities didn’t find Ben totally exhausted, his most treasured focus in his life was his family, his wife, Sarah and the two “twinkles in his eyes”, his daughters, Mia and Maddie. You could find Ben out at the baseball fields, coaching his daughter’s Cal Ripken team; or continuing a life-long family tradition of camping and many trips to Cape Cod.

Ben will be greatly missed by many, especially his wife and best friend of over 20 years, Sarah M. (Paulson) Tatro and the two special young ladies in his life, Mia and Maddie Tatro, of Swanzey; his parents, Bruce and Betty Tatro of Swanzey; a brother, Adam Tatro and his wife, Dru, of Epsom, NH; two nephews, Noah and Colton Tatro, of Epsom; his mother-in-law, Dianne Paulson of North Swanzey, NH; his father-in-law, Bob Paulson and his wife, Janice, of Winchester, NH; two uncles and aunts, Peter Tatro and his wife, Cary, of Mechanicville, VA and David Dahl and his wife, Susan, of Swanzey; his many extended family members; and his many friends; fellow firefighters and members of his dive team; and his beloved bloodhound, Rosie. Ben was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Leo and Madeline Tatro; his maternal grandparents, Victor and Mildred Dahl; and his aunt and uncle, Marsha and Andrew Sparrow.

A celebration of Ben’s life will be held on Friday, June 8th from 2:00 to 5:00PM with a memorial service at 5:00PM on the football field, a most fitting place to celebrate Ben’s life, at the Monadnock Regional High School, 580 Old Homestead Highway, Swanzey, NH. In honor of Ben’s establishment of “red shirt day” at the hospital, everyone is requested to wear red in his honor.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ben’s memory to a fund established for his daughters, Mia and Maddie. The family is grateful for your donations to the Mia and Maddie Tatro Memorial Fund, c/o Service Credit Union, 403 Winchester Street, Keene, NH 03431.