Paul W. Kuppinger

Paul Weiland Kuppinger lived his ninety-four years with curiosity, kindness, and an unshakable belief in the goodness of people. He was always interested—in ideas, in words, in puns, in politics, in how things worked, and, most of all, in others.

Born in Rochester in 1931 to Loretta and Dr. Herbert Kuppinger, Paul was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings Jean, Marcia, and Herbert, Jr. He is remembered with love by his brother, Jon Kuppinger; his children: Edward Kuppinger, Anne Kuppinger (Dan), and Janet Morrison (Callum) and their mother, Tara Starrs Kuppinger; his former daughter-in-law, Karen Kuppinger; and, his grandchildren: Thomas, Colin, Nathan, Zhanya, Sylvie, Lachlan, Ruari, and Finlay and their partners; and, his great-granddaughter, Thea.

As a child, Paul spent summers sailing at YMCA Camp Cory on Keuka Lake and passed this happy tradition on to his children and grandchildren. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and returned home to attend LeMoyne College where he discovered a love for community theater. He was quick to produce a line from Shakespeare to fit any occasion and enjoyed writing poetry. He found a career that he loved teaching social studies for 25 years in the Greece Central School District.

In Paul’s lively second act after retiring from teaching, he continued to build, learn, and give back. He travelled extensively and volunteered around the country and the world – hammer in hand and camera around his neck – with Witness for Peace and Habitat for Humanity. A chance request to take a road trip (something he was always open to) to deliver a car led to a years-long connection with Big Laurel Learning Center in West Virginia.

Paul was a founding member of Spiritus Christi Church, where his faith translated naturally into action. For years he was the unofficial baptism and event photographer and a regular at a breakfast club after church. He found special meaning in Spiritus’ Haiti Outreach Pwoje Espwa (H.O.P.E.) making several trips to Borgne, Haiti, to work in collaboration with the community to expand access to healthcare.

Photography was a lifelong passion. His love of people, places and family is found in his innumerable photographs. They tell a story of a life well-lived and well-traveled. In recent years, he volunteered at an early childhood school, putting cameras into the hands of children and showing them how to document their own lives. He delighted in their photographs.

Paul’s friends truly sustained him as his vision and mobility declined - including all the members of his Small Christian Community at Spiritus Christi, Ritaclaire, Mike and Ben Streb, Sr. Gretchen Shaffer and Sr. Kathy O’Hagan, and his dear friend and travel buddy, Meredith Reiniger. We would also like to thank the staff at Brentland Woods and the Episcopal Church Home, as well as Paul Graham, a volunteer who read to our father every week for the past year.

Paul’s life was one of service, curiosity, and connection. He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, good humor, a commitment to social justice, and a belief that everyone’s story is worth listening to.

A celebration of Paul’s Life will be held at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church located at 121 Fitzhugh Street, Rochester, NY 14614 on November 13th at 7:00pm. A brief reception will be held after the service at the church. Interment will take place at a later date.

Those wishing to honor Paul’s memory are invited to do so through donations to Big Laurel Learning Center, the Camp Cory Scholarship Fund, or to Spiritus Christi’s HOPE/Haiti Project.