Victor Meldrew
Member
- Location
- Central Florida
I found out last week that Paul, an old friend of mine who I had known for nearly 30 years, passed away around the end of January, from a massive heart attack. He was 78 years old.
Paul was originally from Ogdensburg, NY, a small town on the St Lawrence River dividing the US and Canada. Having had multiple hip replacements on both sides beginning back in his 50's, he was disabled and had some difficulty walking, but always got around OK. I met him back around 1990 when we were both taking a course in Architectural Drafting at a local vocational-technical college where he was attending on a vocational rehab program.
Having been into computers for a few years already, he was very helpful to me back in the early days of my involvement with them. He gave me a bootleg copy of an industry standard CAD program that sold for $3,000.00 back then, which I otherwise would never have been able to own. Helped me out quite a bit in becoming proficient in using it and landing future employment.
Paul and his then wife were living in about 20 miles or so south of here, but his wife wanted to live in town and he wanted to be closer to school. He told me they had looked at a house for rent just a few houses up the street from where I was living at the time, but he didn't think they'd ever hear back from the guy. So I copied the phone number from the sign in the yard and called the owner. He was an attorney who knew my then landlord, which gave me some credibility. I put in a good word for them and they got a call from him telling them that the house was theirs to rent if they wanted it. The house was right across the street from the childhood home of actor Buddy Ebsen. Anyway, Paul and his wife got divorced a couple of years later but he stayed in the house for over twelve years and we became good friends.
He never got an hourly job as a drafter, but he managed to get into a partnership arrangement with a local engineer/contractor named "Roger" (Americanized form of Indian name Rogenda) who worked freelance and specialized in small commercial renovations. Made a decent living at it for over a decade.
He had his living room set up as a drafting office with computers, CAD plotters and printers etc, all over the place. I used to help him out on various projects, helping him take site measurements, field notes and making sketches, etc. This was usually in exchange for a free lunch or dinner at some buffet restaurant. One summer I actually worked for Roger on a weekly salary basis, M - F from 8 to 4 out of Paul's house.
Then Roger passed away just a few years ago and that ended Paul's work too. By then he had already moved out of the old place downtown and bought a house a few miles away from the heirs of a woman he had been friends with prior to her passing away. He and Roger converted the two car garage into their new drafting office. Shortly afterward, his recently widowed younger sister moved down from Oregon and moved in with him to share expenses.
We stayed in touch and remained friends after Roger passed away a few years ago, but in time, our visits became less frequent. He and his sister were heavily involved in the local gem and mineral society (aka "the rock club"), making jewelry and putting on events/shows around town where they'd sell their work. Paul handled most of the management and setup of these events and was always listed as the contact person in the ads for them.
Over the last couple of years of so, we hardly spoke at all. He called me about a year or so ago and we chatted for a few minutes but that was the last time I heard from him.
Anyway, he was a good friend for a long time and it's sad to think he's gone and I'll never speak to him again. I went to his memorial service this past Friday morning at the Catholic Cathedral & Diocese downtown. Between his sons, daughter, their spouses and grandkids, along with his friends from the rock club etc, there were about 70 people.
Paul next to his car in my driveway around the early 2,000's.
RIP Paul.
Paul was originally from Ogdensburg, NY, a small town on the St Lawrence River dividing the US and Canada. Having had multiple hip replacements on both sides beginning back in his 50's, he was disabled and had some difficulty walking, but always got around OK. I met him back around 1990 when we were both taking a course in Architectural Drafting at a local vocational-technical college where he was attending on a vocational rehab program.
Having been into computers for a few years already, he was very helpful to me back in the early days of my involvement with them. He gave me a bootleg copy of an industry standard CAD program that sold for $3,000.00 back then, which I otherwise would never have been able to own. Helped me out quite a bit in becoming proficient in using it and landing future employment.
Paul and his then wife were living in about 20 miles or so south of here, but his wife wanted to live in town and he wanted to be closer to school. He told me they had looked at a house for rent just a few houses up the street from where I was living at the time, but he didn't think they'd ever hear back from the guy. So I copied the phone number from the sign in the yard and called the owner. He was an attorney who knew my then landlord, which gave me some credibility. I put in a good word for them and they got a call from him telling them that the house was theirs to rent if they wanted it. The house was right across the street from the childhood home of actor Buddy Ebsen. Anyway, Paul and his wife got divorced a couple of years later but he stayed in the house for over twelve years and we became good friends.
He never got an hourly job as a drafter, but he managed to get into a partnership arrangement with a local engineer/contractor named "Roger" (Americanized form of Indian name Rogenda) who worked freelance and specialized in small commercial renovations. Made a decent living at it for over a decade.
He had his living room set up as a drafting office with computers, CAD plotters and printers etc, all over the place. I used to help him out on various projects, helping him take site measurements, field notes and making sketches, etc. This was usually in exchange for a free lunch or dinner at some buffet restaurant. One summer I actually worked for Roger on a weekly salary basis, M - F from 8 to 4 out of Paul's house.
Then Roger passed away just a few years ago and that ended Paul's work too. By then he had already moved out of the old place downtown and bought a house a few miles away from the heirs of a woman he had been friends with prior to her passing away. He and Roger converted the two car garage into their new drafting office. Shortly afterward, his recently widowed younger sister moved down from Oregon and moved in with him to share expenses.
We stayed in touch and remained friends after Roger passed away a few years ago, but in time, our visits became less frequent. He and his sister were heavily involved in the local gem and mineral society (aka "the rock club"), making jewelry and putting on events/shows around town where they'd sell their work. Paul handled most of the management and setup of these events and was always listed as the contact person in the ads for them.
Over the last couple of years of so, we hardly spoke at all. He called me about a year or so ago and we chatted for a few minutes but that was the last time I heard from him.
Anyway, he was a good friend for a long time and it's sad to think he's gone and I'll never speak to him again. I went to his memorial service this past Friday morning at the Catholic Cathedral & Diocese downtown. Between his sons, daughter, their spouses and grandkids, along with his friends from the rock club etc, there were about 70 people.
Paul next to his car in my driveway around the early 2,000's.
RIP Paul.
