Paul Procopio

Paul Procopio, 94
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ - Paul Procopio, 94, formally of Brockton, Amherst, Southbridge, and Florida, died peacefully on May 12, 2013. He was predeceased by his loving wife, Elva (Tarbell Johnson) Procopio in 2010, and his first wife, Adeline (Baker) Procopio in 1979.
He leaves two daughters, Janet Oberti and her husband John, of Litchfield, NH and Sara Davis and her husband Russell, of Hillsborough, NJ; two step-sons, the Reverend Sanford Johnson and his wife Barbara, of Marlborough, NH, and Kenneth Johnson and his wife Kim, of Winchester, NH; two step-daughters, Amaret Johnson and her husband the Reverend Patrick McLoud, of Southbridge, MA, and Anita Johnson, of Keene, NH; a sister in law, Kathryn Procopio, of St. Louis, MO; eight grandchildren: Brian and Nicholas Oberti, of Litchfield, NH, and Harrison and Marguerite Davis, of Hillsborough, NJ, Christopher Johnson and his wife Erica, of Concord, NH, Austin Johnson, of Fairbanks, AK, Griffin Johnson, of Winchester, NH, Gaelle McLoud, of Southbridge,; and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by three brothers, Saverio, Tony, and Domenic Procopio, and two sisters, Ilda and Ella Procopio.
Born in Brockton, Mr. Procopio graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1941 with a B.A. in Landscape Architecture, then in 1954 with an MS in Horticulture. For 36 years, he was a professor of landscape design at the University of Massachusetts, retiring as Associate Head of the Department in 1983. For many years, he was a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and was invested, in 1983, as a Fellow in the Society for excellence in Professional School Education. He was known and respected by his colleagues and students as "one of the greatest humanists in the history of the department." During WWII, Mr. Procopio was a civilian camouflage designer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
After retiring, Mr. Procopio and his wife moved to Florida, returning to Massachusetts in 2007. In addition to time spent with family, which he cherished above all else, Mr. Procopio enjoyed gardening, woodworking and traveling.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at 10:00 A.M at the Elm Street Congregational Church, Southbridge, MA, at the corner of Elm and Park Streets. A Graveside Service will also be held at Wildwood Cemetery, 70 Strong St., Amherst, MA at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, with a burial to follow. Calling Hours will be 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Monday, May 20, 2013, at the Belanger-Bullard Funeral Home, 51 Marcy St., Southbridge.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Elm Street Congregational Church, Southbridge MA.
An online guestbook is available at www.
BelangerFuneralHome.com