Waino Tuominen Obituary

Waino Tuominen

Huntington, MA - Waino Tuominen, in the words of his son, was a lifelong conservationist and do gooder. He died from complications related to cancer on May 11, 2025, after a full and colorful life. He was 82.

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Waino spent his young adult years roaming places like California and Mexico. But when he settled in Huntington in the early 1970s, it was clear that he'd found home.

He embarked on a life of stewarding land, caring for animals, and serving his community. Waino was drawn to labor; his varied jobs included work as a trail builder, farrier, stone wall builder, and dairy farm laborer. He called himself a large animal man and, besides milking the cows, he enjoyed tending horses for neighbors and friends. He also helped with seasonal work, preferably outdoors, close to home, and for people he liked to visit with.

Waino had a strong moral code that was deeply rooted in the environment. He lived by the tenets of "voluntary simplicity," "small is beautiful," and "think globally, act locally." And he put these ideas into practice daily by encouraging recycling everywhere he went even, to the amusement of his friends, by separating out the component parts of used tea bags (compost, metal, paper, string) so that each element could be returned to the earth or reused.

At the family camp in Maine, Waino could live off the grid and enjoy being in nature with his partner Linda and their extended family and friends. Here, and everywhere, Waino walked gently on the earth. Younger people were drawn to his principled practices and deep knowledge, joining a large community of local friends who regularly stopped by the Huntington house or gathered for seasonal bonfires.

In the community, Waino served for many years on the Huntington Conservation Commission, the Hilltown Land Trust Board of Directors, and the Goshen Food Pantry. He supported more conservation groups than there is room to name.

In addition to Linda Siska, his life partner of 48 years, Waino leaves his son Waino Tuominen III, his sister Linda Harris and family, sister-in-law Lois Siska, brother-in-law Bill Yamartino and his beloved nieces and nephews, Sheila, Jillian, Daniel and Gabriel Yamartino, their families and many good friends. If happiness is defined by the relationships one builds in one's life, it is why Waino was a deeply contented man.

A small family service to honor him will be held soon. A larger celebration of life will follow at a later date. For those who would like to honor him, please plant a tree or make a contribution to an environmental organization of choice.