Thomas M. Ragno

The Honorable Thomas M. Ragno passed on May 11, 2024, in Fort Myers, Florida surrounded by his loving family. Judge Ragno was born on November 1, 1931, in Thompsonville, Connecticut, the youngest of eleven children and graduated from Enfield High School, Class of 1950. After graduating, Tom immediately joined the United States Navy where he served until his honorable discharge in 1951. He was accepted to admission at Providence College under the G.I. Bil where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958. On August 31, 1957, he married the love of his life, Eleanor "Elie" Falkowski at St. Joseph's Parish in Suffield Connecticut surrounded by their families. This was the beginning of an eternally loving joyous and successful life of sixty-seven years together during which Tom was always smiling, immeasurably generous and loved by everyone around him right until his passing. Upon Tom being accepted to New England School of Law (NESL) soon after graduating from Providence College, Tom and Elie moved to Boston's West End where they lived in a spartan "cold water" flat while Tom attended law school, and the beautiful young couple began their life happily enduring the hard challenges they faced together. While Elie worked in Boston and attended Northeastern University, Tom excelled in law school, graduating with his J.D. from NESL in 1961. He began his legal career first in Boston at a small firm run by future East Boston District Court Justice Joseph V. Ferrino before the couple moved to Chicago where Tom served as an Immigration Examiner and then a Trial Attorney with the Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1963 to 1973. During these years, Tom and Elie became parents to Thomas Jr., Marie Rebecca and Francesca Sophia, raising their children in the Oak Park suburb of Chicago surrounded by many friends who over the years became lifelong friends. During these years, he especially enjoyed attending Chicago Black Hawks games where he came to know some of the many foreign born players. Judge Ragno was appointed as an Immigration Judge in October 1973 in Chicago, where he served for three years. During their time in Chicago, each summer Tom and Ellie would drive back to Connecticut with their young kids where they would spend time with Ellie's large Polish-American family helping the Falkowski family tend to their large tobacco farm in Suffield, Connecticut aided by the entire extended family. Tom always cherished these times with Ellie's family, especially playing cards and smoking cigars with his brothers-in law during countless family gatherings. Around 1976, Judge Ragno accepted a position as Immigration Judge in Boston, where he faithfully served until his retirement in 2006 after thirty years on the bench. Judge Ragno was a well respected member of the bench known for his camaraderie with the immigration bar during his long career, making many lifelong friends in the broader Massachusetts legal community. It was not unusual, even in his later years, for Judge Ragno to be approached by an immigrant or their family members thanking the Judge for profoundly changing their lives by giving them an opportunity at the American Dream. Tom and Ellie settled in Needham, Massachusetts where they raised their family, became lifelong members of St. Joseph's Parish in Needham and continued to drive the now much shorter distance to Connecticut for numerous family gatherings, eventually bringing their grandchildren. In their retirement, Tom and Elie spent many beautiful summers in Hull, Massachusetts laughing with their grandchildren at the beach and over countless meals and other happy occasions. Tom will be eternally remembered as a faithful servant of Christ, a loving husband, father and grandfather and a happy, generous and loyal friend to everyone who had the great fortune to know him. He will be sorely missed. Judge Ragno is survived by his loving wife Ellie (Falkowski), his son Thomas Jr., two daughters, Rebecca Marie "Becky" Henley and her husband Brian Henley of Austin, Texas and Francesca Antonelli and her husband Peter Antonelli of Fort Myers, Florida, eight grandchildren, Cameron, J.W. and Preston Henley, Alexis Ragno, Sofia, Andrew, Luke and Justin Antonelli as well as a brother, Sal, of Enfield Connecticut. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday May 16 at 10:00 AM at S.t Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, 13031 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, Florida. Judge Ragno will be buried in Needham, Massachusetts in the Catholic rite to be held on MONDAY, May 20 at 10:00 AM at S.t Mary's Cemetery, One Wellesley Avenue, Needham, MA.

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