Arthur Joseph Paiva

Arthur Paiva, a devoted family man, tireless community servant, and a true Newport character, passed away on his 93rd birthday, Tuesday, August 12th, at 9:00pm at the Rhode Island Veterans' Home. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marie Elizabeth Stricker Paiva, and his son-in-law, Mark Stephen Weed. Arthur's legacy lives on through his three children, Marie Teresa Paiva Weed, Joe Paiva, and John Paiva; his two daughters-in-law, Lauren Krams Paiva and Jackie Mercer; and his three cherished grandchildren, Josh, Jake, and Lily. He was also the brother of the late Anthony Paiva, George Paiva, Manuel Paiva, Joseph Paiva, Francis Paiva, Mary Keavy, and Mary Rodriques.

The family is forever grateful to the dedicated and professional staff of Newport and Middletown Fire Department Emergency Medical Services, Newport Hospital, St Clare Newport and the Rhode Island Veterans Home for everything they did to help Arthur over the past several years and for making the final years of his life as good as they could possibly be.

Born on a farm in Warren, RI, Arthur arrived in Newport in 1938 at the age of six, speaking only Portuguese. With the help of friends and newspapers, he taught himself English during his first-grade year at St. Mary's School. He forged friendships that would last until their deaths 80 years later with Jack Curran, Jack Kane and others while growing up around Aquidneck Park, working in bowling alleys and restaurants, and playing baseball and tennis.

Jack Kane would tell stories many decades later of the priests at DeLaSalle trying in vain to bend Arthur to their ways, but ever the troublemaker, Arthur could not be tamed. Dropping out (or possibly being expelled, the record is unclear), Arthur was in the Army and on his way to fight in the Korean War before he was 21. He almost managed to avoid combat completely by using his restaurant skills to land a job at the Fort Bragg Officer's Club, but Arthur being Arthur, he got caught flirting with one too many officers' wives, and by June of 1953 was in the Kim Sung Salient as a member of the 461st Infantry Battalion attached to the South Korean Army II Corps.

In a battle that raged from June 10 until July 20, Arthur's unit fought alongside the South Koreans as they were overrun first by more than 22,000 Chinese on June 10-18 and again a month later. Spending three days on the wrong side of enemy lines and witnessing the deaths of thousands of men in a single day not once but twice in a single month left Arthur with invisible wounds that would never heal. But Arthur was nothing if not mentally strong and resilient. By the time he shipped back home, Arthur was back to his old ways and somehow managed to run a profitable poker room on the troop transport that brought him back stateside.

With no acknowledgment or treatment for PTSD in those days, Arthur got an ultimatum from Judge Carrellas shortly after his return home from war: straighten up or re-enter the military. In May 1955, Arthur chose the Air Force, trading his fatigues for a career as an aircraft weapons technician. It turned out to be the best decision of his life, because it was at Eglin Air Force Base in 1957 that he finally met his match in Marie. She succeeded in taming the man whom neither the nuns, priests, a judge, and the Army could manage to domesticate.

Returning to Newport in 1958 as a (mostly) transformed man, Arthur dedicated 27 years to serving as a mail carrier, but he was truly known to old-time Newporters for his unparalleled community service. While raising their three children, Arthur and Marie were active in countless clubs and volunteered for numerous causes. Arthur was an honorary life member and Past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and an honorary life member of the Newport Elks, where he and Marie were fixtures on the dance floor well into their 80's. He was also a proud member of the VFW, Vasco de Gama, and an Auxiliary member of the Vincent de Paul Society.

Arthur's most visible role for most Newporters, however was as an umpire. For 51 consecutive years, calling strikes in the dirt and tolerating no misconduct on the field, Arthur commanded baseball and softball fields throughout the state. An early and ardent champion of women's sports, he was among the first senior umpires to officiate girls' and later women's softball, earning widespread respect across the state as an enduring supporter and fixture in the sport.

Among his many contributions to Newport and Rhode Island, Arthur's leadership in bringing kidney dialysis machines to the state in the early 1970's stands out. Collaborating with the RI Kidney Foundation, Knights of Columbus, and other non-profit organizations, he spearheaded the collection of millions of Betty Crocker coupons. Arthur and Marie's basement became a hub for hundreds of garbage bags filled with coupons, which, along with the tireless efforts of friends from the Knights of Columbus, Girl Scouts, and other benevolent groups, were hand-counted and bound to purchase two life-saving kidney dialysis machines. This was at a time when such technology was incredibly difficult to access and prohibitively expensive for most hospitals.

One quintessential example of Arthur's devotion to family was his decision to become one of the oldest bone marrow donors in history in order to save and prolong his brother's life. Despite the need to risk his own damaged heart and artificial aorta failing, Arthur didn't hesitate for a second to join his brother and undergo the two day procedure that could have easily killed either or both of them.

Arthur and Marie will be forever remembered by Newporters as an inseparable and untiring duo, who generously gave to their community while showering their children, extended family, and countless friends with undying passion and love. Forever the devoted father, fair but tough umpire, dedicated mailman, shrewd card player, charming flirt, and tireless volunteer, Arthur Paiva will be cherished for years to come by all whose lives he touched.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Jesus Savior Church, 509 Broadway, Newport, at 11:00 AM on Monday, August 25, followed by burial with Military Honors at St. Columba Cemetery, 465 Brown's Ln., Middletown.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Arthur's memory to St. Clare Newport, Donate To Our Cause - St. Clare Newport, Rhode Island or to the Rhode Island Veterans Home, 480 Metacom Ave, Bristol, RI 02809