James "Jim" R. Aho

Leominster - It is with great sorrow that the family of James “Jim” R. Aho announces his sudden passing on February 12, 2026, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. He was born on June 5, 1954, in Springfield, Massachusetts to Raymond E. Aho and Judith M. (Salmi) Aho.

After moving to Lunenburg, Massachusetts in 1967 with his family, Jim graduated with the Lunenburg High School Class of 1972.

Jim had a lifelong passion for ice hockey and golf. As the Wallace Civic Center was being completed, Jim was one of three future teammates who collected petition signatures lobbying to establish a hockey team for the high school. Lunenburg’s inaugural team took the ice for the 1970–71 season with Jim serving as one of three captains—an honor he would again hold in his senior year. While that was his final year playing competitive hockey, his love for golf continued throughout his life. He once shared or held course records at three different courses and competed in collegiate tournaments in North Carolina and California while attending North Adams State College. He was a longtime member of Monoosnock Country Club in Leominster, where he played whenever possible. Jim had multiple holes-in-one, most notably on his 35th birthday at Maplewood Golf Course in Lunenburg.

Jim worked for Sears in Leominster for over 40 years, beginning in maintenance in 1974. Over the decades, he took on many responsibilities, including management roles. After retiring, Jim was asked to return in a management position to assist with the store’s closing and liquidation, to which Jim agreed under one condition: that he would be the one to close and lock the doors for the final time in February 2020. Most recently, he worked part-time at Lowe's in Leominster—a job he truly loved, as it allowed him to once again help customers find solutions to their home maintenance and improvement needs, something he had deeply missed after his time at Sears.

Jim is survived by his close friend Lynn Maye and her grandson, Enzo, of Port Henry, NY; his former wife Mariette Richard and her partner Ed Drouin of Orange; his children, Elizabeth Aho of Worcester, and Richard Aho and his partner Becky LeBlanc of Leominster; his sister Susan Hovey of Amherst NH, his sister Debra Raymond and husband Doug Raymond of Hubbardston, his brother John Aho and wife Sharon Aho of Lunenburg; nephew Brian Tagliavia of North Oxford, niece Kristin Hovey of Bedford NH, and nephew Billy Hovey of Manchester NH.

He was predeceased by his parents, Raymond and Judith, and his brother-in-law, William Hovey.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, March 15, at 1:00 p.m. at Monoosnock Country Club, 40 Monoosnock Avenue, Leominster.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Jim’s memory to support youth sports programs, such as First Tee (firsttee.org).

To leave a message of condolence visit:www.wrightroyfuneralhome.com