Paul J. Drone, 73, of Merrimack, NH, died Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016, at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, after a long illness.

He was born in Belleville, IL on June 12, 1943 a son of the late Sylvester and Irene (Koesterer) Drone.

Paul was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during the Vietnam Era serving on the USS Wasp.

Before retirement, he was a quality control technician for Coca-Cola in Londonderry, NH. After retirement, he was a bus driver for the sports charters for Merrimack High School teams.

Paul loved snowmobiling and boating with his family.

Members of his family include his wife Kathleen (Breen) Drone of Merrimack; two sons Paul and Douglas Drone both of Merrimack, NH; a brother Walter Drone of Kansas City, KS; and a sister Carol Hall of Smithton, IL; and several nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be in the Rivet Funeral Home & Crematorium, 425 Daniel Webster Hwy, Merrimack, NH, on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, from 4-8 PM. Funeral service will be held in the funeral home on Friday at 10 AM. Burial will follow in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody, MA. For more info or to sign an online guestbook go to www.rivetfuneralhome.com.