Paul Joseph Sacco

Paul Joseph Sacco, of East Sandwich, MA, died peacefully on August 28, 2024 at the age of 82, surrounded by his loving wife, children, and grandchildren. Paul was born on March 6, 1942 to John and Celeste Sacco. He grew up in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, MA with his siblings John, Robert ("Butch"), Sandra, and Arthur (deceased). Paul met the love of his life, Madelyn, in April, 1962. Madelyn was at Circle Pizza in the North End with her friends when Paul came by with his friends. They all drove to Paul's house in Milton, rolled up the rug, and danced. When Madelyn returned home from summer vacation, Paul was waiting on her front stoop. Paul and Madelyn married nearly 57 years ago, on October 1, 1967 at the Parker House in Boston.

Paul had a long, distinguished career in the hospitality industry. He started as a teen operating elevators at the Statler Hotel (now the Park Plaza) and worked his way up through nearly every role to become a Senior Vice President of Omni Hotels, CEO of Belvedere Hotels, and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. Over more than six decades, Paul mastered every element of the industry, from sales and marketing to food and beverage to operations. Paul retired in 2023 after sixteen years as Chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts Lodging Association (MLA), where he served as a tireless advocate for the hospitality business.

An industry leader, Paul served on many boards over the course of his career. In recent years, he was on the executive committees and boards of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and the Freedom Trail Foundation; he was chair of the boards of the New England Chapter of Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, Historic Hotels of America, Meet Boston, and the International Society of Hotel Associations; and he was a member of the boards of SKAL International, Discover New England, Sail Boston, and the Travel Industry Association of America. Paul received countless awards, including the State Tourism Award from Governor Patrick, the Spirit of Leadership Award from the Greater Boston Convention Bureau, and MLA's Hall of Fame award, of which he was the inaugural recipient. All along the way, Paul was an approachable and thoughtful mentor to generations of young professionals. He enjoyed helping others grow their careers and giving back to an industry that brought him so much joy.

As much as he loved his career, family was at the center of everything Paul did. He was exceptionally proud of his children, Dena, Paul ("PJ"), and Alexis. He and Madelyn created warm, loving homes for their family in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Washington, DC. Growing up in and around hotels allowed Paul's children the unique opportunity to spend time with him not only at home, but also in his work environment. They saw and learned so much from his work ethic, the authentic way he related to people, and the care he put into everything he did. Paul welcomed his daughter-in-law, Paula, and his son-in-law, Dan, into the family with an open heart. As their grandchildren started to arrive, Paul and Madelyn moved to Cape Cod. Paul loved being part of the 'Cod,' as he called it. You could find him four-wheeling on Sandy Neck Beach, clamming in Osterville, taking his Jeep full of grandchildren to the Fourth of July parade in downtown Sandwich, planting in his garden, cooking eggplant parmigiana, making his famous pizza chiena for Easter, and attending his grandchildren's shows and sports events. Paul loved spending time with his grandchildren, and made sure that each one of them knew that they were his "favorite." He thrived on having his family around him, and "Papa" and "Gee" created joyful memories that their children and grandchildren will carry with them always.

Paul is survived and will be missed tremendously by his wife, Madelyn (Brogna) Sacco, his daughter Dena Sacco and son-in-law Dan Rosen, his son Paul ("PJ") Sacco and daughter-in-law Paula (DiRocco) Sacco, his daughter Alexis Sacco, his six beloved grandchildren - Lauren, Felicia, Michael, Ethan, Steven, and Matteo - and his many family members, friends, and colleagues.

The family will hold visiting hours at Lane Funeral Home, 760 Main Street, Winchester MA on Thursday, September 5, from 4:00-7:00 pm. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, September 6, at 9:00 am at Sacred Heart Church, 20 Follen Road, Lexington, MA. Family and friends will be invited for brunch at 10:30 am at The Tuscan Kitchen, 2400 District Ave, Burlington, MA following the morning mass.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Paul's memory to the Paul J. Sacco Hospitality Scholarship, which MLA created in honor of Paul upon his retirement to support high school students entering the hospitality industry. Donations can be made online at https://www.masslodging.com/scholarships.html or checks can be made out to "MLA Education Foundation" and mailed to MLA, P.O. Box 990189, Boston, MA, 02199.