Paul V. Partenope

Paul Partenope, age 78, passed away peacefully on Thursday March 2, 2023 at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care. A resident of Gorham for nearly 50 years, Paul was born in North Adams MA on July 11th, 1944 to Frances and Thomas Partenope. He and his beloved brother Tom had the privilege of living next door to the Partenope homestead which remained within the family for just over a century. This included their grandmother and grandfather as well as a number of their father’s 11 siblings and many more first cousins. The house was always full with family, friends, boisterous conversation and food. Paul graduated Drury High School in 1962 and fittingly was in the Future Teachers of America club. He received a two-year Associate's degree from St. Joseph College, in Bennington, VT and then enrolled in the US Navy. Paul served four years as a non-commissioned officer and made two tours of duty to Vietnam aboard the USS Princeton. One of the ship’s last acts was the recovery of the manned Apollo 10 after a successful 61-hour orbit of the moon.

Upon discharge, Paul enrolled in the University of Alaska Fairbanks and graduated with a Bachelors of Education degree. Paul married his loving wife Mary, also a North Adams native, on August 4th, 1972. The two moved to the north country shortly afterward where he was a business teacher at Berlin High School. After earning a Masters of Education degree in Guidance and Counseling at the University of Maine he then became a Guidance Counselor at Berlin High School. Paul next earned an MBA degree from Plymouth State College and then proceeded to become the Business Administrator for School Administrative Unit #20. He finished his 35 year career in the NH school system as the Business Administrator of SAU #54.

Paul also had the privilege of serving as president of the NH Association of School Business Officials, as secretary for the NH Public Risk Management Exchange (PRIMEX) and was the Secretary of the White Mountain Beagle Club for nearly thirty years. He served on the board of the Northeast Credit union as well as the Androscoggin Valley Fish & Game. Paul loved hunting hare with a faithful Beagle and also enjoyed competing as a silhouette shooter for a number of years. He loved spending time at the family hunting camp in Vermont as well as spending time with family, especially his grandchildren Melanie and Luke.

Paul is survived by his loving wife Mary who for 50+ years was with him every step of the way over his long career in education. He is survived by his two children, Christine and Mario as well as two grandchildren Melanie and Luke. He is also survived by his brother Thomas and his sister-in-law Marcia as well as their daughter Colleen. He is predeceased by his parents Thomas and Frances and niece Jennifer.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Holy Family Church, Gorham on Monday March 13, 2023 at 1:00 PM. There will be no calling hours. Interment will be in North Adams, MA at a later date. The Bryant Funeral Home in Gorham, NH is in charge of the arrangements. Online guestbook at www.bryantfuneralhome.net

In lieu of flowers or any other form of sympathy gift, the family strongly encourages you to make a donation to the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care. Paul and his family received such excellent care there and couldn’t have been more comfortable during such a difficult time. More places like this need to exist in the world for our loved ones to have such peace in their last days. You may give by calling 603-653-0700 or by visiting this link: https://dhmcalumdev.hitchcock.org/giving/jack-byrne-center Their address is 154 Hitchcock Loop Rd Lebanon NH. Or you can donate to the St. VIncent de Paul Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 29 Providence Ave Berlin NH 03570. 603-752-1820.