Ben Montenegro, a 61 year resident of Ashland, MA passed away from congestive heart failure. The only child of the late Ralph P. and Marguerite (Haskell) Montenegro formally of Upton, MA Ben Montenegro died at the age of 89 years. Ben leaves his wife of 63 years, Betty Jane (Rohn) Montenegro; son R. Paul and wife Joan of Providence, RI; daughter Deborah and husband Don Gillespie of Ashland, MA; son F. Peter and wife Maria of Tolland, CT; son William D. and wife Lauren of Upton, MA and son Benjamin P. Montenegro, Jr. of Framingham, MA. Grandchildren include Maegan Montenegro of Upton, MA; Mike Montenegro and wife McKenna of Ipswich, MA; and Joe Montenegro of Amherst, MA. A native of Framingham, MA Ben Montenegro enlisted in the U.S. Navy his senior year at Framingham High School/Class of 1942 immediately following Pearl Harbor. He served at sea on two destroyers seeing action in both the European and Asian military campaigns until the end of WWII. Montenegro received the Purple Heart for injuries received with the sinking of his first destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea. Following the war, Montenegro attended business school in Boston before joining the former Independent Coal Tar Company's regional office in Framingham as the general manager. The company was a road building contractor operating in the New England and New York regions. In 1961, Ben Montenegro founded and managed Independent Bituminous Co., Inc. formally of Holliston, MA for 20 years until its sale as an operating company. Joining the Town of Ashland as the highway surveyor to fill a vacancy by request of the Board of Selectmen, Ben was later elected to the position. With a town charter change including the formation of the department of public services, Ben Montenegro was appointed the inaugural director serving a total of nine years in the management of the Town of Ashland public works. Ben then joined with G.L. Gerry Daigle of Bellingham, MA and Gary B. Berkley of Norton, MA to form a public works consulting group for industry clients. The OTH Group ("Over the Hill" Group) operated for seven years until the official retirement of Ben and Gerry, also dubbed by the public works community as "the ice cream boys" during their OTH tenure. Ben Montenegro is best known by long time Ashland citizens for his volunteer work in the community. Ben helped to found and manage the Men's Club of Ashland during the 1970s and early 1980s which is credited with the construction of the original running track, baseball field, lighted tennis courts and the lighting of the football field at Walker Field now part of the Ashland Middle School complex. All work was completed at no cost to the town. Ashland Day and the Ashland Emergency Fund are two signature projects that Ben Montenegro helped to organize and manage as well. Elected town officials and town office staff acknowledged Ben Montenegro for his tremendous community involvement with the naming of Montenegro Square directly across from the Ashland Town Library. How fitting that Montenegro Square houses the Santa Claus community meeting shed. A funeral service will be held Friday, May 17th at 10:00am in the Chapel of the Matarese Funeral Home, 325 Main St. in Ashland with burial to follow in Wildwood Cemetery in Ashland. Calling hours will be held Thursday from 4:00-7:00 PM in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the Montenegro family respectfully requests that donations be made to the Ashland Emergency Fund, PO Box 112, Ashland, MA 01721 indicating that your donation is made in honor of Ben Montenegro. www.mataresefuneral.com