Paul PARLATO

1941 - 2019

PARLATO, Paul C. Died May 30, 2019. He was born in 1941, the son of Joseph and Jean (Cangi) Parlato in Buffalo, N.Y. where he was raised with his brother, Frank and sister, Martha(dec). Preceding him in death was his beloved wife of 46 years, Rita (Runfola). Paul leaves behind two sons, Steven (Savannah, GA) and David (Cincinnati, OH), daughter-in-law, Christine and granddaughters, Nicole and Alexandra. Paul also leaves behind his companion Jill Melfi, and many dear friends and colleagues. Paul received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Notre Dame and earlier studied five years in the Seminary of the Josephite Fathers, a Catholic society devoted to serving African American communities since the Civil War. Most of his career was spent as a dean in adult higher education, first at Point Park College in Pittsburgh and then for 26 years at Wittenberg University. After arriving at Wittenberg in 1981, he assumed co-directorship of the Community Leadership Academy, a partnership that has since helped develop over a thousand area leaders. In later years, Paul served on several non-profit boards, most recently the Clark County Mental Health Foundation. After retirement, Paul engaged in two long-deferred pursuits. The first was community beautification, including three years' service as executive director for the Hollandia Gardens project. The second was sharing his love for the golden age of American popular song in the 20th century. He taught courses in the subject, sharing his enthusiasm for the great composers and performers of the era. Paul also sang with the Springfield Symphony Chorale and even volunteered to play piano for SRMC patients and guests. A lifelong learner and athlete, he took pride in his family's accomplishments in academics, sports, and career pursuits. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 7th at the LITTLETON & RUE FUNERAL HOME with Rev. Fr. Larry Gearhart presiding. Memorial donations are welcome to the Parlato Fund of the Springfield Foundation.