Paul Melia

Paul Anthony Melia (82), of Sutton, passed away on Monday, April 27, 2020 from complications related to COVID-19.

Paul was born on May 12, 1937 in Worcester.  He was the son of the late Thomas and Margaret (Brissette) Melia.  Paul leaves his wife and best friend of 56 years, Janet (Johnson) Melia of Sutton; his brother Garry T. Melia and his wife Karen; his sister Marylin Fisher; his son Garry R. Melia, his wife Peggy and their children, Sean, Meredith and Griffin; his son Glenn Melia, his wife Shelby and his children Haydn, Ethan and Leiah; his daughter Erinn Zent, her husband Jason and his children Emma and Maya; and his nieces and nephews, Kristen Flynn, Whitney Margoupis, Justin Wahlstrom, Anthony Melia and their families.

Paul graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School in Worcester and attended Worcester Junior College.  He was a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, 101st Aircraft Control and Warning Flight.  He served in Germany as a radar operator during the Berlin Crisis in 1961.

In his early years, Paul was a drummer who started his own band, The Down Beats, and later joined The Fabulons, a church musical group, where he and Janet met in 1955.

Paul was an active member of his community and served on the Sutton Conservation and Planning Commissions, and was a member of the Sutton Lions Club, the Dudley Gendron Legion Post and the Singletary Rod & Gun Club.  He was also a member of the Worcester Surf Casting Club in Bourne where he spent weekends in the summer and served as the Chair of the Grounds Committee for many years.

Paul worked for Moore Survey and Mapping Corporation from 1963 to 1991.  Throughout the course of his career, he worked in all technical and operational aspects of the company.  He served on the Board of Directors, as its Vice President, and ultimately retired in 1991 as the company’s President. He was a member of several professional organizations including the Northeast Airphoto Associates, the New England Land Title Association, and multiple state surveyors associations.  He was a member of the American Society of Photogrammetry and was a fellow of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping.  He lectured on Assessor’s Mapping at the University of Connecticut and at Vermont Technical College.

Paul loved being outdoors as evidenced by his annual vegetable gardens and meticulously manicured lawn and yard.  He enjoyed snowmobiling and the many hunting and camping trips he shared with his brother and children.  He enjoyed all sports, but was especially fond of soccer.  He served as a soccer coach at both the youth and collegiate levels.  He traveled far and wide to attend his children and grandchildren’s youth, high school and college games and events.  Paul took great pride in the many accomplishments of his children and grandchildren.

Paul was never one to sit still and kept busy in later years with various part-time jobs and visiting Cape Cod and Florida.  Paul and Janet enjoyed wintering in Dunedin, where Paul loved the warm weather and happy hours with friends both old and new.

Paul’s legacy will be his unending dedication and loyalty to his family.  He will be dearly missed by his family, friends and all who knew him.

To abide by the state regulations on social gatherings, all of Paul’s funeral services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Massachusetts Covid-19 Relief Fund, c/o Foundation for Business Equity, 265 Franklin Street, Box 304, Boston, MA 02110 (www.macovid19relieffund.org), or to the charity of your choice.