Allen Richard Gromko

Allen Richard Gromko, a man of endless curiosity, master craftsmanship, and deep devotion to his family, passed away peacefully on February 16, 2026.

Al’s story truly began in an art class at Tenafly High School in New Jersey, where he met the love of his life, Eileen. They were married on December 28,1966, embarking on a journey of nearly 60 years together.  After living in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Stratford, New Jersey, Al followed his heart to New England. In 1979, he accepted a position at Salem Hospital and settled his family into their "forever home" in Ipswich, a town he grew to love deepl

 A proud alumni of Penn State and a member of the Chi Phi fraternity, Al also served hiscountry in the National Guard. His professional life was marked by his tenure at Salem Hospital and later by his entrepreneurial spirit as the owner of ARG Associates.

Al was most at home on the waters of the North Shore. Whether he was navigating the sandbars, fishing the local tides, or duck hunting, his boat was his pride and joy. To Al, life was an opportunity to learn something new. He was a gifted woodworker and metalworker, a delicate watercolor painter, and even built his own boat. His family will forever remember him as a man of many talents—one day found cycling, playing racquetball or practicing Tai Chi, and the next, meticulously working on remote sailing models or cooking a meal for those he loved. He was rarely without the loyal companionship of his beloved Labrador Retrievers.

Above all his achievements, family was Al’s North Star. He was preceded in death by his cherished wife, Eileen who recently passed Dec 13, 2025; his parents, Ed and Lois Gromko; and several dear friends.

His legacy lives on through his brother, Stephen Gromko; his children, Susan (Bill) Kopecky, Alison (Harold) Lafoe, and Michael (Jaclyn) Gromko; and his nine grandchildren: Holly (Colby), Kendra, Brian, Andrew, Emily, Katelynn, Estelle, William, and Sawyer. He was also the proud great-grandfather to Hadley Eileen and Hudson Allen Easter.

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, March 4th at 2pm at the First Church in Ipswich, 1 Meetinghouse Green. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation can be made to New England Lab Rescue, Inc.  P.O. Box 58  Limerick, MA  04048  or  newenglandlabrescue.com .  Assisting the Gromko family is the Morris Funeral Home of Ipswich.  To send a letter of condolence to Allen’s family please go to:  MorrisFH.com .

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