Paul Winston Richardson

Eastport, Maine – On February 6, 2011 Paul Winston Richardson died after a six month effort to overcome a hospital-acquired bacterial infection. Until he was diagnosed with the infection in September, Paul lived independently in his own home and occasionally drove around Eastport as well as to Calais to visit his daughter Terri, a patient at Atlantic Rehab. Paul died peacefully at Eastern Maine Medical Center with his other two daughters in attendance.

Paul was born in Eastport, Maine on January 1, 1912, the only child of Harold Thomas Richardson of Deer Island, New Brunswick, Canada and Ellen Teresa (Nellie) McCann Richardson of Chamcook, New Brunswick, Canada. Paul was the grandson Elmer Lewis and Laura Wilson Richardson also of Deer Island and the step-grandson of Hattie Wilson Richardson. Laura Wilson Richardson died from complications within a year of Harold’s birth.

Paul had a keen interest in genealogy and served as the family historian and chronicler of events. He was proud of his heritage as a direct descendent of the West Isles Families which is chronicled in Martha Ford Barto’s Genealogies of West Isles Families. Paul’s great-grandfather Thomas Richardson settled Richardson, Deer Island, New Brunswick, Canada where he opened a shipyard in 1850 that built well-respected boats for over one hundred years. As a patriotic American himself, Paul was particularly proud that one of his ancestors died in service to this country during the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Machias.

Paul was predeceased by his beloved wife of 61 years, Inez Idelia Outhouse Richardson who passed away on February 7, 2001. Paul was devoted to her in life and in memory as evidenced by her pictures and memorabilia throughout the house as well as his daily visitations to Hillside Cemetery. Family lore is that Inez and her father, Charles Outhouse, were out riding one day and passed the Richardson home on County Road. Seeing a man in the yard, Inez is said to have turned to her father and said “that is the man I am going to marry.” This was surprising to Mr. Outhouse given that Inez was fifteen at the time, Paul was ten years older and they had never met. They courted for four years and married on May 10, 1940 days before Paul reported for duty at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego, California.

Paul is survived by their three daughters: Salliann Richardson Alborn of Baltimore, Maryland; Paula Segien of Clearwater, Florida and Eastport, Maine, Terri Angiolillio of Calais, Maine; and a son, Jon Robert Richardson of Bangor, Maine. Paul is also survived by seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren one of which is Haley Miller of Littlestown, Pennsylvania with whom he shared a special relationship. Paul is also survived by two special cousins, Ralph Hicks of Eastport, Maine and Dr. William (Billy) Wilson of Orono, Maine; and a devoted friend of over 70 years, Hazel F. Schoonover of Chico, California, formerly of Eastport, Maine. Paul was blessed to have many good relationships among his Eastport friends and neighbors which he cherished.

After graduating from Shead Memorial School in 1927 he worked locally before joining the U.S. Navy where he was assigned as an aide to Admiral Arthur L. Willard, commander of the Fifth Naval District. who befriended him. Paul returned to Eastport in the mid-1930s but re-enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1939 as the war in Europe intensified. During the war Paul was stationed at Pearl Harbor Naval Station. On December 7, 1941 Paul was at the Naval Hospital when the Japanese began bombing Pearl Harbor. Although a patient at the time, Paul left his hospital bed and began assisting the doctors and nurses in caring for the patient. He received a crash course in intravenous fluid administration and burn treatment and for the next few days assisted the staff in readying the severely burned and wounded for transfer to the mainland. Paul received a number of service commendations during his career but was most gratified at being able to be of service during that horrific time. Paul was a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and contributed to the fund to build the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. Paul retired from the Navy in 1955 after 23 years.

Throughout his naval career Paul was attached to the air wing where he could exercise his love of flying and all things mechanical. Paul drove his first car at the age of thirteen and from that day forward had a life-long love affair with cars, airplanes and locomotive engines. Until he became ill last fall, at 98 years of age Paul could describe in detail the components and operations of the latest airplane engines used in commercial and military aviation. Paul was an avid reader of material related to naval aviation and military tactics published by the Naval Institute and Aviation Week as well as his internet research. One of Paul’s great pleasures was conversations with t Robert Scott, the son of his friend Bart Scott, about their respective experiences in aviation. Paul also held a life-long interest in medical services and rather than slowing down, Paul became a certified EMT and served in the Eastport EMT service for many years.

After retiring from the U.S. Navy in 1955, Paul worked for Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, Connecticut as a Technical Writer. In 1960 Paul returned to California, the area where he was stationed for many years, where he worked as a Technical Writer for Convair Aircraft and Aerojet General. Intrigued by the United State’s emerging space program in the mid-60’s, Paul joined IBM’s Federal Systems Division in Huntsville. Rather than be transferred to a new location and assignment with IBM in 1975, Paul took an early retirement and he and his returned to Eastport and the home they had purchased 25 years earlier. When not working as an EMT, at the Water Company or in the Assessor’s Office, Paul devoted to his time to the Eastport Planning Council and serving as a Trustee of Calais Regional Hospital. Paul was especially proud that the Eastport Breakwater was constructed during his Planning Council tenure. Paul and his wife were conservative Christians and devoted a significant amount of time to religious study which he pursued until his death.

Paul retired from his part-time position in the Assessor’s office in 2000 to care for his seriously ill wife. In retirement, Paul devoted considerable time to reading on a wide variety topics, a lifetime passion evidenced by the hundreds of books that occupy every shelf, surface, nook and cranny of his home. Over the next ten years he indulged this pastime as well as his avid interest in baseball and football spending many hours debating the merits of weekend football games with his daughter, Salli, also an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan. As those who were on Paul’s considerable e-mail list know, Paul was a student of politics and a committed conservative. Paul was a member of the Masonic Eastern Lodge #7 and the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Paul’s body was cremated in accordance with his wishes. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held in late June at Cornerstone Baptist Church with burial next to his wife at Hillside Cemetery. A notice with the date and time of the memorial service will be placed in the Quoddy Tides.

In lieu of flowers, Paul can be remembered with a gift to the Wounded Warrior Project, 7020 AC Skinner Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville, Florida 32256 (www.woundedwarriorproject.org) or the Youth Program at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 112 County Road, Eastport, Maine 04631. Arrangements by Mays Funeral Home, Calais & Eastport.