Paul Healy

1929 - 2024

Healy, Paul Timothy

Born on flag day 1929 he passed peacefully September 12th at age 95. His sister Jeanne, his only surviving sibling, calls the obituaries "The Irish Sports Page." This is for her and us.

Paul graduated from Purcell High School where he was declared "Best Dressed" - his nickname "Mellow Fellow." He graduated from Xavier University. During this time he was a model at Pogues and appreciated a "good look" until his passing. His personality and style put him in good stead for his outstanding career as a pharmaceutical rep.

Dad served in the army from 1951-1953 in counterintelligence.

After that Paul married his dream girl Margaret French. They started a family in Indiana (Colleen, Noreen, Tim and John), transferred to New York (Michael), then Birmingham MI (Christy), and finally in 1963 to Centerville Ohio (Mary Alice). Centerville in 1963 was not what it is today, but proved to be a great place to raise a family. He was grateful to the end to have lived and worked there.

And work he did. He wrangled more time out of each day than seemed possible. He was a Cub Scout leader for 6 years, but that was just a lead-in to SOCCER. He singlehandedly organized the first soccer team in Centerville in 1968 at Incarnation - working from a book about soccer and lining the fields himself. He organized the SAY program for Centerville grade schools in 1970 and the high school in 1971 and was their director for 5 years. Dad was also instrumental in coaxing Ron Gatland to coach a team at Alter High School. They had a miraculous first season - beating a Cincinnati club that hadn't been defeated in 3 years. For his effort in being a forerunner of the game he was inducted into the Ohio Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009.

But that is not all, during this time he and Margaret were active in Incarnation Parish and had a great group of friends there and in their bridge clubs where they were known to cap off the night by driving to the "Cascades" to see "Big Red" - they had a ball.

He transitioned out of soccer into a new project - GAMES. Paul invented "Pivot", "Auction", "Windy", and "Gotcha" (no, you haven't heard of them but WE did!). He was undeterred by any naysayers. During this time he also had a side hustle in real estate. Important to him also were his faith, dogs, drinks, parties, and St. Patrick's Day.

Retirement was approaching and he and Margaret stumbled upon a great house on Lake Lakengren in Eaton, Ohio. It was beautiful, right on the water, and for 25 years was the center of our family's world - holidays, swimming, boating, water skiing (and its lesser sister tubing). The card games were legendary along with his garden. They loved it there. Under duress they left the lake in 2015 to be closer to family and medical care. They lived in a cottage at St. Leonard and moved into assisted living right before COVID. We will always be thankful to St. Leonard's staff for their care during that stressful time and beyond.

His wife of 68 years, Margaret, passed away in 2021. Dad struggled on. He beat esophageal cancer (salute to Dr. Mark Romer) and battled prostate cancer valiantly.

As he became more frail this summer he transferred to Fairmont Senior Living with much appreciated help from his granddaughter Jane Stires. While he was there he was doted on by the staff and Day City Hospice. Thank you all.

He was funny and pleasant until the end.

He leaves to celebrate his life his sister Jeanne Phillips, 7 children - Colleen Crews, Noreen Rector, Tim (Janet), John, Michael (Melinda), Christy Montavon (Bob), and Mary Alice Tedquist (Bob), 19 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren.

During his time as a pharmaceutical rep he enjoyed working with doctors and especially residents. For this reason he chose to donate his body to Wright State School of Medicine.

A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday September 20th at 11 am at St. Leonard. A celebration will follow at the Station House there. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Madeline Montavon Wright Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of Alliance City Schools, 200 Glamorgan St., Alliance, OH 44601 or to St. Vincent de Paul Administration, 124 W. Apple St., Dayton, OH 45402.