June 23, 1939 – June 30, 2023
Michael Lyne Rishton, 84, of Reading, Massachusetts, passed away on June 30, 2023.
Born June 23, 1939, and raised in Wrentham, Massachusetts, Michael was the son of the late Gilbert and Annie (Lyne) Rishton, and brother of the late Gilbert Rishton of Rhode Island.
At 18 years old, Michael began his professional career in the Fuels Research Laboratories at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Michael then joined AVCO Wilmington working on the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program traveling extensively to the Atlantic and Pacific missile ranges. Michael transferred to AVCO Everett Research Laboratory (AERL) and started work on the artificial heart. While at AERL, he and several co-workers started Dyonics, creating fiber optics bundles used to pass images. After selling Dyonics, Michael refocused his work on cardiac medical devices at AERL where he became President of AVCO Medical Products and Vice President of AVCO Corporation. Michael spent much of his time at AVCO Medical Products in clinical trials developing the Intraaortic Balloon Pump at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Kontron bought AVCO Medical Products in 1982, and Michael went on to continue his research, product development, and manufacturing of cardiac medical devices, eventually starting his own company, Rishton Medical, LLC. Before spending the last 10 years of his professional career as a consultant for Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Lantos Technologies, Michael worked with Abiomed in Danvers, Massachusetts, where he continued work on the artificial heart and assisted in the procurement, development and manufacturing of the Impella Heart Pump. Beginning as early as 1973, Michael has been credited for multiple patents working with various companies such as AVCO Corporation, Kontron Cardiovascular, Aries Medical, MedSol, C.R. Bard, Haemonetics Corporation, and Lantos Technologies.
Michael spent his time away from work at his beloved Cooper Pond Camps in Maine whenever he could, bringing along anyone who would appreciate the wildness. He brought his family to camp every summer for fishing, hiking, boating, swimming, and shooting. Cooper was openly available for the Wrentham Boy Scouts to spend a week in July every year. November was time for hunting with his sons, in-laws, and friends. Winter at Cooper was snow shoeing, ice fishing and snowmobiling. Spring started Michael’s excitement all over again.
Michael’s love of family was his greatest joy. Michael married his high school sweetheart, Janet (Farrar) Rishton, in 1959. Michael is survived by his loving wife, their 4 children and their families to include 10 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren: Karen Johnson and her husband Wade of Ashford, CT; Kimberley Rishton of Florida; Douglas Rishton and his wife Stephanie of Hampden, ME; and Daniel Rishton of Reading; grandchildren Sarah, Eric, Lindsey & Aaron, Laine, Michael & Christine, Evan, Eric, Madison, Grace, and Ethan; two great-grandchildren Noelle and Shepherd. Uncle to many nieces, nephews and their families.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a Memorial Service for Michael on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 11:00 AM at the Original Congregational Church of Wrentham, 1 East Street, Wrentham, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Michael’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/).
