Paul K. McCluskey

Paul K. "Skully" McCluskey, 57, of South Windsor and formerly of Manchester passed to a new beginning on Thursday, June 18, 2020 at Manchester Memorial Hospital. ALS, a wicked disease, claimed Paul's physical body but, not his spirit. Those who will remember and deeply miss Paul are those that he loved most in his lifetime; his beloved sons, "the boys", Matthew and Jack McCluskey, and their mother and a forever friend, Jeanne McCluskey, all residing in South Windsor. Matthew and Jack were Paul's greatest accomplishments within his treasured life, and they will continue to share the incredible qualities they have of their father. Each of the boys will continue to honor their fathers legacy as Matthew is currently attending Paul's alma mater, Eastern Connecticut State University and Jack shares his father's outstanding athletic ability, attending Central Connecticut State University as a Division I athlete. Paul was predeceased by mother, Pauline, who he missed daily, his father Thomas and his very special niece, Brittany Urso and her father Michael. He leaves behind his sister Kathy and Jim Zitani, Patricia Urso, Marianne and Rolando Tecun, Maureen and Robert Reault and his brothers Thom McCluskey and Peter and Robin McCluskey, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Paul will also be well remembered by his friends, Rupert Lawrence and Jonathan DuBois. Paul's legacy will continue to shine through the endless laughs and memories he shared with so many. His family remember the good days as he flew alongside his mother's car, forgetting to let go of the door handle as she drove away, or the generous ice cream buy he made for the whole neighborhood. All was well until it was discovered that, unbeknownst to his mother, her purse was the funding source. A generous soul, he was also affectionately known by friends as "Finster" for he never failed in not offering to buy post softball or basketball refreshments for the crew. Growing up, Paul excelled in every sport, baseball, basketball and football. His competitive spirit made him an outstanding athlete at Manchester High School, where to this day he holds the record for the single game rushing and scoring with six touchdowns. Paul was able to celebrate his athletic accomplishments at MHS in 2018 where he was honored for his outstanding athletic career. He found his real passion playing Rugby in college, at Eastern Connecticut State University where he was a founding member of the team. Following college, he played with the Hartford Wanderers. Paul retired from playing rugby after the birth of his youngest son, Jack and went on to become a referee. He loved telling people what to do, so his talent of being a referee came naturally to him. His love of the game allowed him to become one of the top referees in New England and matches throughout the United States. He was most proud of having had a chance to referee a match in England and for being recognized by USA Rugby for his referring abilities. Before attending ECSU, Paul joined the army where he served in Germany for two years and served 4 years in the National Guard. Serving his country was one of Paul's proudest moments of life. Following his years in the military, Paul had an extremely successful career in the flooring industry as a sale representative. Paul carried his competitiveness in life throughout his career and became highly respected throughout the flooring community. Pauls' family would also like to thank the staff at the West Haven Veteran's Hospital. Without the team's professionalism and support, Paul's journey with ALS would have proven to be much more difficult. They also would also like to send thanks and appreciation to the doctors and staff in ICU at Manchester Memorial Hospital who cared for Paul during his final days and especially Melissa, the last nurse to care for him and who showed us what the medical profession can be in providing care and comfort. Special thanks to Maria Batista who cared for Paul on a daily basis. A time of visitation for family and friends will be on Thursday, June 25, 2020 from 4-8 pm at the Samsel & Carmon Funeral Home, 419 Buckland Road, South Windsor. All attendees must wear masks and please honor social distancing. Burial with full Military Honors in St. Mary's Cemetery, New Britain will be private. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Paul's memory may be made to the ALS Association of Connecticut, 4 Oxford Road, Unit E-4, Milford, CT., 06460 or www.alsact.org To leave an online condolence please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com