Paulus Aemilius Irving Haynsworth

1939 - 2025

Paulus Aemilius Irving Haynsworth

It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Paulus Aemilius Irving Haynsworth, who left us on February 12, 2025 at the age of 85. He was born on June 4, 1939 in Richmond, Virginia to Dr. Josiah Edgar Haynsworth and Paula Aemilius Irving Haynsworth.

He graduated from Virginia Episcopal School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in History with a minor in Theology from Hampden Sydney College. He later earned his Masters of Business from New York University. He was the former owner of Clarklift of Virginia and Atlanticlift Systems.

Paulus grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he had many memories that he shared with his family and friends throughout the years. As a child, he would visit his grandmother, Lucy Allen Taylor, in Farmville during the summer. With his friends, he "cooked hot dogs on a stick, swam the Buffalo Creek, and drank water out of a garden hose." He had fond memories of his grandmother visiting him with a hat box full of pecan tarts, apple puffs, and other homemade treats, which began his fondness for sweets. He shared memories of Cheesy Westerns at the Texas Tavern and catching matinees on Saturdays. At Hampden Sydney, his entrepreneurial spirit emerged when he started a vending machine business selling sodas and cigarettes in the dorm. It did so well that the school seized and assumed all operations. As a brother of Kappa Sig, he was the resident artist and illustrator, filling an entire wall of the frat house with caricatures and cartoons. His time at VES, Hampden Sydney, and Kappa Sig gave him a loyal group of lifelong friends with whom he has maintained close relationships.

From grad school, he started selling books in the eastern half of the country, which allowed him to pay off his student loan debt. From there, he went to work in Washington, DC, at a brokerage firm where he met Claire, his wife of 54 years. She is a great cook and validates the adage that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. In the early days, they scrimped and saved. After running an equipment distributorship for ten years, he purchased what is now known as Atlantic Lift Systems in 1988. He and Claire ran the company, which they passed on to their son in 2012.

Paulus and Claire had many adventures together, traveling to Europe, spending time in Florida, eating good food, and drinking finely priced wine. As a family, he made sure his children took meaningful vacations, especially sharing his love of skiing out West. He even suffered Disneyworld multiple times.

His stories and memories will remain with us always. One of his last words of wisdom to his granddaughter was that "the best way to start a story is at the end."

He is survived by his wife, Claire Hay Haynsworth formerly of Bronxville, NY; their three children, daughter Donna Haynsworth Salasky (Martin), daughter Spencer Haynsworth Woodcock (Gordon), and son Allan Irving Haynsworth (Megan); and his cherished grandchildren Rachel and Anna Salasky, Mercer and Calder Woodcock, and Reagan, Shepard, and Briggs Haynsworth, who will continue to honor his legacy by living their lives to the fullest.

We would like to thank Dr. Norev, Dr. Victor, and the wonderful staff in the Cardiac Care and Intensive Care Units at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.

A funeral service will be held on February 18, 2025 at 10 a.m. at Galilee Episcopal Church, 3928 Pacific Avenue, and a reception will follow at the Princess Anne Country Club at 11:30 a.m. Online condolences can be made to the family at hdoliver.com.

H.D. Oliver Funeral Home