Paul M. Huling

Paul Merril Michael Huling left this Earth on Thursday November 20, 2025 after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer.
The last survivor of his immediate family, Paul was the son of Merril E. Huling and Agnes E. Tramack Huling. Paul is survived by his first cousins Molli Hyman (Sam), Ann Hallam (Richard), Julia Yankovich (Mark), John Tramack (Lorraine), and numerous second and third cousins. Paul was born on January 28, 1952 in Erie, Pennsylvania. A direct descendant of Ridgway Pennsylvania's Tramack family, Paul enjoyed countless visits to the family homestead on 202 Ash St, and he always felt a deep connection to Ridgway and the people who live there.
Paul attended St. George parochial grade school and continued his education at Erie Academy High School, graduating in 1969.
After declining several scholarships, Paul decided to pursue his love of the food and beverage industry. He enrolled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's prestigious Lewis Hotel/Motel Career Academy and graduated in1970. Lewis' placement service arranged an interview for Paul with ITT/Sheraton Hotel Corporation. Hiring him on the spot, Paul became the youngest Food and Beverage Manager and Controller / Purchasing Agent in Sheraton Hotel history.
After helping to oversee a corporate restructuring of Sheraton properties, Paul reinvented himself and began a successful 45-year career in direct sales, retail sales, and marketing.
Paul always said, "Outside of swimming pools, insurance, and real estate, there is no industry with which I haven't been directly involved." Paul designed marketing strategies for promotion and sales of countless products, goods, and services.
Paul loved to travel, and his work experience allowed him to live and work in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Chicago Illinois, Tampa Florida, Jackson Tennessee, Kansas City Missouri, Dallas TX, and Los Angeles, California. After returning to Erie in 1981, Paul spent several years in automobile sales and sales department management. Paul also designed and sold water purification systems and equipment for over 10 years and was a direct sales rep for regional vending machine companies.
As a young man, Paul's hobbies included bowling, golfing, and fishing. In his senior years, Paul became an avid coin collector and was a self-proclaimed cigar afficionado. Paul was a dedicated care giver to his aging mother Agnes for over 10 years, and was a daily
visitor to her long-term care facility for nearly 5 years. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Paul became a stay-at-home recluse. Taking the virus very seriously, he was subsequently never infected and remained in good health.
From an early age Paul also enjoyed his gift for music. At the age of 5, Paul performed in his first variety show at St George Parochial School Auditorium in Erie. Throughout the 1960s Paul sang and played drums in legendary Erie PA rock bands such as The Apple, Controversy, The Illusions, and The Lenz. Paul continued performing in the 1970s and 80s throughout the United States, finally retiring from the music business in 1985.
Those who knew Paul sometimes found him to be a short-tempered, opinionated man, never lacking an opinion on any subject. Many people also found Paul to be a quite humorous individual, with a quick wit. During an interview toward the end of his life, Paul offered a short, ad-libbed version of a famous WC Fields quote. Those who knew him will understand this sums up his life perfectly: "In my life, I made lots, and lots, and lots of money. I spent half of it on booze, cannabis, gambling, and wild adventurous women. The other half – I wasted. God bless you all – Nostrovia!"
He was one-of-a-kind. Paul Merril Michael Huling will be dearly missed. Private committal services were held at the convenience of the family at St. Leo Cemetery, Ridgway on Saturday November 22, 2025. Brugger Funeral Homes & Crematory, 1595 West 38th St. handled arrangements.