Ronald Byard Schram

Ronald Byard Schram (Ron), 80, of Hingham, MA, passed away peacefully on February 9, 2023, surrounded by his family, and following a year-long battle with cancer.  He was the loving husband and best friend of Carol (Anderson) Schram for 53 years.  Though his academic and professional accomplishments are many, Ron was first-and-foremost a family man.  Ron is survived by his wife Carol, daughter Laura (Schram) Page and husband Eric of Norwell, MA, their children Skylar and Sydney, and daughter Alison (Schram) Baldwin and husband Tim of Hingham, MA, and their children Caroline, Emily, Julia, and Will. He is also survived by his younger sister Janet (Rosemary) Schram and predeceased by his sister Karen (Schram) Davies.

Ron was born in Detroit, Michigan to the late Byron Canby Schram and Mary Louise (Byard) Schram.  He was raised in the city of Detroit and then moved to Grosse Point, Michigan where he graduated from Grosse Point High School in 1960 as President of his class and excelled in football, basketball, and baseball.  He attended Dartmouth College, graduating magna cum laude in Economics in 1964.  At Dartmouth, Ron was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Paleopitus, Green Key, the Undergraduate Council, and Sphinx. He was President of Beta Theta Pi and the Interfraternity Council, and a member of the varsity basketball and football teams. 

Following graduation, Ron was awarded a two-year Keasbey Memorial Foundation Scholarship for graduate study at King’s College in Cambridge, England, where in 1966 he received a Master of Arts degree in economics.  In addition to pursuing his scholarly interests, Ron traveled extensively around Europe and captained England’s entry into the World University Basketball Tournament in 1966.  After his studies were complete in England, Ron returned to his home state of Michigan, enrolled in the University of Michigan Law School, and completed three Law degrees: Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and Doctor of Science of Law.  While at the University of Michigan, he was recognized for his scholarship and received the first George M. Humphrey Fellowship in Law and Economic Policy. There can be no doubt that Ron’s biggest accomplishment in Ann Arbor was meeting Carol on a blind date and realizing instantly that he had met his life partner.  Ron and Carol were married on July 19th, 1969.

In 1970, Ron joined the Boston law firm Ropes & Gray and founded the health care practice which he led until his retirement in 2002.  Specializing in complex non-profit organizations, Ron was at the forefront of many innovative corporate merger and acquisition transactions that shaped the healthcare provider landscape in New England. Combining his legal, leadership, and business expertise, Ron led the organization of a division called RG Advisors which combined non-lawyers and lawyers to provide integrated business solutions for clients.

Throughout his life, Ron worked tirelessly in support of the organizations and causes that touched him personally, particularly those related to health, education, and sports.  Ron served for eleven years as a Trustee of Dartmouth College, seven years as Chair of the Rockefeller Board of Visitors at Dartmouth, as a Trustee of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, as a Trustee of Derby Academy, as Trustee for the New England Sports Museum, as Chair of the National MS Society of Massachusetts, and on the Board of Trustees for the Greater New England MS Society, among others.

Ron had an active retirement where he enjoyed spending time with Carol, playing golf, and hosting the grandchildren for family vacations at Johns Island, Florida.  Always an avid reader and writer, Ron wrote books on several subjects and continued to pen stories, poems and manuscripts until his final days.  

Ron will be laid to rest in a private ceremony in Hingham MA, where he has resided for over 50 years. A Celebration of Life service will be held in his honor at Hingham Congregational Church on Saturday, February 25 at 11AM. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or National Multiple Sclerosis Society.