Paul D. Scovell

Paul D. Scovell passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 3, 2013, at the age of 90 years.

He was a gentleman with a kind and gentle heart. Paul lived his life with a strong faith in God. Blessed with gifts of wit, charm and genuinely caring about others, he could form an immediate connection with anyone.

Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Jean Scovell, whom he remembered dearly every day since her passing in 2009. He will be deeply missed by his loving children: daughter, Cyndy (Timothy) Myer, and sons, Paul W. Scovell and Thomas F. (Mary) Scovell. He was a devoted and loving grandfather to Daniel (Cortney) Myer, Melissa (Luke) Taylor, Christopher Myer, Matthew Myer, Kiersten Myer, Holly Scovell, Haley Scovell, Sarah (Tony) Roetzel, and Emily Scovell. He adored his great-granddaughters, Lily Taylor and Addison Myer and his third great-grandchild due July, 2013. He is survived by sisters, Verena Shifley and Janet Dietzel, and sisters-in-law, Joann Root and Shirley (Charles) Kappus, and many loving nieces and nephews.

Paul was born in Johnstown, Ohio, on October 21, 1922. After graduating there, Paul joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in the South Pacific. He was a proud veteran of World War II. Paul attended Baldwin-Wallace College and then the Cleveland School of Mortuary Science. The majority of his career as Funeral Director and Mortician was with Hennessy-Bagnoli Funeral Home; the family is extremely grateful for the respect and friendships he developed with Terry and Larry. He served as President in the Summit County Funeral Directors Association. He was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church for almost 60 years.

Paul fulfilled his passion for caring about people by being actively involved in organizations including the Optimist Club, Mended Hearts, the American Heart Association and AARP.

He was a member of the Optimist Club of Akron for 58 years, serving as secretary-treasurer for 38 years and as president; he also served as Lieutenant-Governor of the Ohio District of Optimist International. In addition, he volunteered many years as an Akron Children's Hospital Tree Festival event coordinator and a radiothon volunteer, and at the Optimist Goodpark Youth Golf Tournament. Paul was a member of Mended Hearts Chapter 59 for 32 years, serving as president and treasurer. He volunteered at Akron City Hospital as a certified visitor to surgical cardiac patients, chairing and educating this volunteer group for 20 years. He served for 17 years as Chapter 59 Chairman for the National Committee on Research. In 2011, Paul received the "Mended Hearts Volunteer of the Year" Award of the Central Region for his volunteer services. In his spirit of giving, Paul regularly donated blood to the American Heart Association, for a total of 74 pints, to benefit others. With his amazingly sharp mind and love of learning, he became trained in BLS (Basic Life Support) and the use of an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) at the age of eighty. In March 2013, Paul received recognition as a distinguished man and Mason for 65 years from the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio.

The family wishes to express their appreciation to Dr. Jennifer Payne and the wonderful, caring people at the Cooper Cancer Center, to Terry Hennessy II and to all of Paul's dear friends for their love and support.

A Memorial Service to celebrate his life will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Akron, on Friday, April 19, 2013, at 10 a.m., Reverend Mark Pruitt officiating. The family will receive friends in the Parish Hall of the church following the service. Interment of Paul and Jean will be held at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman at 2:30 p.m. on April 19th. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Akron Optimist Foundation, c/o Bill O'Neil, 233 Broken Fence Drive, Medina, OH 44256, or to a charity of your choice.



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