Paul Kenneth Metzger

Paul Kenneth Metzger passed away peacefully on October 27, 2020 while recuperating at home from surgery. He was born in 1948 to Paul Bigler Metzger and Hazel Metzger (Thoman) in Columbia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Hempfield High School in Landisville, Elizabethtown College (BA in Political Science) and West Chester University (Masters Degree). He was a lifetime resident of Pennsylvania, residing in Brookhaven with his wife, Pat, for the last 28 years. Paul began working in 1971 for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at Pennhurst State Institution in the children's unit as a Caseworker, becoming a Program Manager in 1978. In 1986 he was transferred to Embreeville State Hospital / MR Division until 1989 when he became a Licensing Inspector for the Southeast Office of Mental Retardation, inspecting the homes of residents with intellectual disabilities. He retired full time in July 2006 and worked part time from 2007 to 2010 for the Office of Adult Services inspecting Assisted Living Facilities throughout the Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Paul began volunteering at Aston Library on Wednesdays organizing book donations and selecting books available for purchase. His knowledge of authors in conjunction with people's interests helped raise money for the library. Paul looked forward to every Wednesday and blocked off this day so nothing interfered with browsing through books. Paul was a serious gardener. He planted garlic with Dell a couple of weeks ago for harvest in the summer of 2021, he looked for neighbor's leaves to shred for the vegetable beds, composted and checked the vegetables morning and night once plants were in the ground. He was passionate about the environment, donating to the Sierra Club, PA Horticultural Society, the Nature Conservancy and the Natural Lands Trust. Paul was also adamant about recycling all items that came into the home. He was 100% an environmentalist and he took pride investing in solar panels for the home to offset his carbon footprint. For over 25 years, he recycled at Recycling Services, Inc. in South Pottstown until its closing in 2018. Some of Paul's other passions included Jazz – listening to the artists, collecting CDs, going to concerts; Craft Beer – collecting beers from around the world to savor; Books – reading about history, sports, Presidents, and places he traveled. Paul enjoyed a spirited conversation, working towards understanding another person's perspective. He loved talking about sports, especially the Eagles. He adored animals. All of the dogs in the home were taken on morning and afternoon walks, where he would chat with neighbors along the way. Paul's grandchildren were the light of his life. From trips to Mississippi to see Jayse and Emilie, to visits with Mason, Nate and Dell, he looked forward to his time with each one. He enjoyed teaching them to garden, looking for insects and feeding the birds and squirrels. He liked taking them to playgrounds, even sliding down with them. Also going for walks, exploring and sharing thoughts. Most of the time he joined them on the carpet playing with cars/trucks, marbles, airplanes, puzzles, and reading books. Paul is survived by his wife Pat; brothers Tom (Betty) and Jim (Sue); his four sons Jamie, Jarod, Ian (Rachael) and Cris (Krista); his nieces Jackie (John), Allison (Rory), Kerri (Todd), Megan and Ryan, and his grandchildren Emilie, Nathan, Jayse, Mason and Dell. Knowing Paul's passions, please plant your favorite perennial or donate to your favorite organization in celebration of your memories with him over the years.