- Date Of Birth: August 3, 1937
- Date Of Death: September 30, 2012
- State: New Mexico
Paul Vassallo passed away on Sunday, September 30, 2012 after a long and heroic battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Benita, children Geoffrey and Lisa, grandchildren Sean and Casey, siblings Charles, Lina and Frank, sister-in-law Sharon, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews, all of whom have provided love and support to Paul over the years.
Paul was born on August 3, 1937 in Marsa, Malta, son of Salvatore Vassallo and Josephine (Gravino) Vassallo. After their home in Marsa was destroyed by bombing in World War II, the family moved to the town of Siggiewi, Malta, until immigrating to the United States in 1952. In Malta, Paul attended seminary school at Seminario Arcivescoviles, and then finished his high school education at Southwestern High School in Detroit, Michigan. Paul graduated from Wayne State University in 1959 with a B.A. in Political Science.
In 1988 Paul was recruited to become the first President and CEO of the Washington Research Library Consortium.
In 1994 Paul was selected as a Fellow in the Senior Executive Program at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Paul was renowned as a force of life in his family and among his many friends around the world. His exuberant gusto for life, for love, and for enjoyment was contagious and a joy to behold. Among his greatest pleasures were cooking gourmet feasts for family and friends (he started a cooking school for men called “Real Men Cook” after he retired), the opera (and singing arias in full voice), travel, and captaining one of several boats that he owned during his life near the Chesapeake Bay. He was inordinately proud of being Maltese and was always thrilled to share his profound knowledge of Maltese history, culture, geography and cuisine with anyone who showed the slightest interest. His unflinchingly stoic approach to his disease during the last decade of his life will always be a source of admiration and awe to those who were closest to him.
Paul’s family wishes to express its gratitude to staff members at Kingston Residences of Santa Fe for their loving and compassionate care of Paul during the past two years.
