John W. Paul

JOHN W. PAUL DVM, MS, age 86 passed away peacefully on October 29, 2020 after a more than 20-year challenge of Parkinson's disease. John (or Bill as he was known in his early years) was born in Livonia NY to Ralph W. and Hazel M. (Collins) Paul and grew up in Bloomfield NY.

He attended the Bloomfield Central School and graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Business/Marketing. John served in the US Army and continued his education at the Ohio State University earning both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Masters in Clinical Pharmacology. John had a long and distinguished career in Animal Health, including the development of Panacur® and Regu-Mate® for horses. He retired from Hoechst Roussel Vet headquartered in Somerville NJ in 1998 before moving to Canandaigua NY.

John was active in several professional organizations including AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners), where he served as Treasurer, AAVPT and AVMA. While in college, John drove the starting gate at Vernon Downs (NY). Later he owned and raced two Standardbred horses, Tippecanoe and Herald N.

John's move to Canandaigua brought him back to his roots. He served on the Board of the Ontario County Historical Society and was a member of Canandaigua Scientific. In 2014, he and his niece Patricia White Talley published A Genealogical Study of the American Paul/Paull Family.

John's passion was not limited to professional pursuits and horses. He put his business and marketing skills to work leading successful fundraisers reflecting his love of history and art. These include Canandaigua Artists Past and Present, Art of our Faiths and the juried show Women Artists of the Finger Lakes. Each of these was more successful than the one before with proceeds supporting his Church.

John's most significant contribution was founding the Parkinson Support Group of the Finger Lakes (PSGFL) in 2008. This group has grown from 12 Canandaigua members to serve hundreds of PD patients/caregivers in 8 New York counties. PSGFL will continue to expand its support of the PD community in John's memory.

John is survived by his wife of 31 years Patricia Pidgeon Smith, son John Cameron Paul, two grandchildren, a great-grandson, brother-in-law Walter P. Pidgeon Jr., sister-in-law Susan W. Pidgeon, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, four sisters: Lucille (Kenneth) Sanderson, Marian (Robert) White, Jeanette (Leonard) Wesley and Thelma (Lewis) Buckman, niece Nancy Boylan and nephew Leonard Wesley Jr.

Our gratitude to the staff at Bridges of Mendon for their wonderful care of John. We look forward to a celebration of John's life in Spring/Summer 2021 when weather and pandemic safety should be more favorable.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson Support Group of the Finger Lakes (PSGFL), PO Box 131, Canandaigua NY 14424 or the First Congregational Church, 58 North Main Street, Canandaigua NY 14424. Arrangements are by Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home Inc., Canandaigua. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com.