Paul A. Hudson

1931 - 2024

Paul A. Hudson

Concord, NH - Paul A. Hudson, 93, of Chichester, passed away on Sunday, September 22, 2024 at Concord Hospital with his daughters by his side. He was born in Lyndonville (Mt Hunger), VT, on July 6, 1931, to the late Harold Hudson and Katherine (Burrington) Reid Norton; he was raised by his mother and beloved step-father Alfred Reid.

After spending some time in Atlanta, GA, the family then settled in Bethlehem, NH, where Paul graduated with the Class of 1951. Paul played basketball, loved to dance. He was an avid traveler, ready to go at a moment's notice, and for several years he worked at luxury hotels in New Hampshire, Arizona & Florida. This is where he met many wonderful people, including the Duke of Windsor (whom he called "Dukey") as well as the future mother of his children. After a stint at Pacific Southwest Airlines in California, Paul returned to New Hampshire. He worked as a barber in Lancaster then relocated to Franklin where he worked at, and retired from, Oak Industries. Paul was an artist who loved to paint with mixed media, and his paintings hang in countless homes in New England and beyond. He was also a licensed antiques dealer, as he loved all things "history" and enjoyed visiting antique stores wherever he was and shared these adventures with his daughters whenever possible. He also was a courier for Franklin Savings Bank, which allowed him to travel the roads and visit with people, two of his passions. In his later years he could be considered the "oldest paperboy" delivering the Weirs Times all over the North Country. Upon retirement, he returned to his childhood home of Bethlehem and soon began gathering the history of his home. He could tell you who and when each and every hotel in town was built, closed or lost to fire. He knew who lived in all the wonderful sites in town, the history of the stage coaches, railway stations, the famous visitors and hometown heroes. This love of Bethlehem's history led to him co-founding the Bethlehem Historical Society with the role of town historian. He cherished this role and could be found researching archives in libraries, town clerks' offices, newspapers, auctions, etc. He was also a great source of information for folks with family ties to Bethlehem, receiving phone calls and letters requesting information. The "Ghost Walks" were an annual highlight for him as he was able to share with everyone the stories of the properties along the route. This past August he was honored, along with dear friend Patsy Bonardi, to be a Grand Marshall of Bethlehem's 250th celebration parade.

Paul is survived by his daughters: Kimberly Nadeau and her husband Steve of Chichester, NH, Tamara Paré and her husband Eric of Morgan, VT; his brother Ralph H. Hudson of Phoenix AZ and Stark NH; three grandchildren: Emilia Paré and her husband Cole Moser, Julia Nadeau, Sean Paré and his wife Darby; great-grandchildren, Nixon, Elijah, Kyde, Elliott and Isabelle; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his step-father: Al Reid; his mother: Katherine Norton; his sister: Eleinor Fournier; and sister-in-law: Wanda Hudson.

A graveside service will be held at Maple Street Cemetery in Bethlehem on Friday, October 11, 2024 at 10am. A church service will be held at Calvary Bible Church, 6 St. James Street in Meredith on Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 11am. Roan Family Funeral Home in Pembroke assisted the family with arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Bethlehem Historical Society, Attn: Claire Brown, 2182 Main St, Bethlehem, NH 03570 or online at https://bethlehemhistoricalnh.org/donate/. Donations may also be made to Calvary Bible Church, 6 St James St, Meredith, NH 03253.

To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.roanfamilyfuneral.com