Donald E. Pauly

Donald E. Pauly, a US Navy Captain, who retired in 1981 after thirty years of military service,
died peacefully at home on October 9, 2025, at the age of 95. His beloved wife Marge was at his side.
Captain Pauly was born in Buffalo NY January 4, 1930, and was a 1947 high school graduate of St Joseph's Collegiate Institute. He then attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy NY, having earned a full NROTC scholarship and a NY State Regents tuition scholarship. He graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1951, was commissioned as a Naval Officer, and served on the destroyer USS SHEA, and then the minesweeper USS PILOT. He returned to civilian life in Buffalo and worked as an engineer at the Ford Assembly Plant until he answered a Navy call for volunteers to man a newly built class of minesweepers. He was Executive Officer and later Commanding Officer of the minesweeper USS DASH. He next earned an Electrical Engineering degree at the USN Postgraduate School Monterrey CA and then served on the destroyer USS DAVIS as the squadron engineering officer.
He was Executive Officer and Navigator on the destroyer USS FURSE, the first USN ship to reach Cuba in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, then became Commanding Officer in 1963 for its extensive modernization in Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, setting a record for completion of this work a month ahead of schedule. He next went to the newly created Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and established the Naval section in Technical Intelligence. In 1966, he took command of the destroyer USS TURNER, soon earning for that ship a reputation for excellence in Sixth Fleet operations in the Mediterranean.
In 1968 he became the Squadron Commander of ten Destroyer Escorts based in Newport RI, then in 1970 began duty on the CNO Staff in the Pentagon. In 1972 he became the Chief of Staff to the Admiral commanding the Cruiser-Destroyer Force Seventh Fleet, in Vietnam waters aboard the cruiser USS PROVIDENCE and later the cruiser USS HORNE. He was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat V for his performance of outstanding service in commanding this force of 56 ships for two weeks in combat during the Admiral's absence.
In 1975, Captain Pauly became the senior military officer in Scientific and Technical Intelligence for DIA. He was repeatedly extended in this duty until his retirement when he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal for his technical knowledge and his leadership in this critical work.
Upon retirement from the Navy, he became a Program Manager for the Link Division of the Singer Company. He supervised the construction, testing, and installation of Operator Training Simulators for nuclear power plants in New York, Louisiana and Mississippi, an important effort made urgent by the incident at the Three Mile Island Power Plant which showed the dire need for such training. When all existing nuclear power plants had their simulators, he retired again. Then in 1989 he became an Income Tax Preparer for H and R Block, earning Enrolled Agent credentials and a strong following of clients who used his income tax expertise for the next 26 years, first in Wheaton MD and then in Leesburg VA. During his final retirement he wrote many articles on naval topics which were published in the national newspaper for destroyer veterans.
Captain Pauly was a member of St John the Apostle Catholic Church in Leesburg, the US Naval Institute, National Association of Destroyer Veterans ("Tin Can Sailors"), Military Officers Association of America, the Early Ford V8 Club, and the Lincoln Zephyr Owners Club. He had a life-long interest in antique cars and exhibited his trophy winning 1941 Lincoln Continental Coupe at local automobile shows.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Mary F Pauly, and his daughter Lynn M Pauly. He is
survived by his beloved wife Margaret E Pauly of Leesburg VA, and his sons Stephen D Pauly
(Kris) of Saint Johns, FL and Todd J Pauly (Cindy) of Leesburg, VA. He is also survived by
six grandchildren, Lauren, Jay, Elizabeth, Jake, Ben and Mary, and two great grandchildren, Claire and Clayton - and by his sister Carol Mudd (late Philip) of Houston TX. He was predeceased by both his brother Frank, of Jacksonville FL and Franks wife Jeanne. His sister Lois Miller (late Norman) of Buffalo died in April 2024.
Visitation will be at Loudoun Funeral Chapel from 4PM to 6PM on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St John the Apostle Catholic Church, 55 Oakcrest Manor Drive, Leesburg, on Monday, October 20, at 10AM. Burial with military honors will immediately follow in the St. John's church cemetery.