Paul Ernst Voegelin, age 60, of Woburn, MA and previously of Reading, left for Heaven on December 2nd the way he always wanted: peacefully in his own bed, at his home that he loved, with his wife and two daughters (his "three girls") by his side.

Paul was the funniest and most charismatic person in every room. He was also the smartest, but he never let anyone know it. Paul had the perfect blend of creativity and intellect, and always charted his own path. He started his career as a talented hairdresser, where he met a beautiful esthetician from Italy, Oriente, who later became his wife. They had two daughters together, Sabrina and Tiana, and opened several successful businesses. Paul leveraged that business experience to persuade MIT and Northeastern to accept him as the only Executive MBA candidate without an undergraduate degree. He chose Northeastern and graduated first in his class, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa. He worked full time while earning his MBA, yet never missed a dinner with his family.

Paul worked in business operations for over twenty years and was highly esteemed by all of his colleagues. During that time, he earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification from Dartmouth College and, to no one's surprise, became a member of Mensa. He ended his career as the Chief Operating Officer at the law firm of Sheehan Phinney, where he loved his work and found colleagues who were more like family. Paul had endless integrity and strong moral character. He was kind, generous, humble, and an active volunteer. Paul was a member of Leadership New Hampshire (Class of 2022), served on the board of the Farnum Center for several years, and later served as Treasurer on the board of Easterseals New Hampshire.

Paul loved every second of his life. He had a rare talent for making anything and everything fun-there was no such thing as a dull or routine task if Paul was involved. Paul loved sitting by the ocean in Maine in the early fall, Switzerland and his 100% Swiss heritage, traveling Europe with Oriente, high power rifle shooting (he was a High Master), making wine, driving fast (so much that he rolled two cars and totaled a motorcycle), Friday nights with the Rocca and Doherty families, and ice-cold martinis. Paul was a gymnast in his youth and could still be found doing backflips and handstands at 60 years old. He was also a lifelong Detroit Lions fan, so his family is very annoyed that the team finally decided to start dominating the League now.

Above all else, Paul loved his friends and family. He could barely make it through a conversation without mentioning his three girls-everything he did in life was for them. He made sure they felt unconditionally loved and supported every single day, and he knew how much he was deeply loved in return. Paul was an incredible man and truly one-of-a-kind. He will be forever missed by his family and all who knew him.

One of Paul's pet peeves was obituaries that didn't list the cause of death. His curiosity couldn't handle it. So, for those like Paul, here it is: he put up a strong and courageous fight against glioblastoma. As in all things in life, Paul vastly outperformed expectations for his diagnosis and approached every challenge with his signature humor and faith. Paul had an unwavering personal relationship with Jesus, and an encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible-he never once lost his positive spirit or his faith.

Paul is survived by his wife Oriente (Di Genova) of Woburn (previously Italy); his daughter Sabrina Voegelin of Woburn; his daughter Tiana Voegelin and her husband Edward Minturn of New York City; his mother Ruth (Bolliger) of W. Barnstable; and his three brothers and their families: Peter and his wife Laura (Mulvey) of Billerica and their sons Daniel and Michael; Christopher and his wife Debb (Berry) of Reading and their daughter Hannah; Stephen of Reading and his sons Matthew and Justin.

Paul gave us two options for his sendoff-he could be stuffed and sat in a chair waving at visitors or sent off on a Viking funeral pyre. Since it turns out that is illegal, a remembrance ceremony and prayer will be held on Saturday, December 14, at 1pm, preceded by visiting hours from 11am–1pm, at McLaughlin - Dello Russo, 60 Pleasant Street, Woburn, MA 01801.