Paul James Walako
June 17, 1958 — November 19, 2024
Paul James Walako, 66, passed away at home in Danvers, Massachusetts, on November 19,
2024, following a lengthy battle with cancer. Throughout his illness, Paul fought hard not only
for himself, but for his family. As with everything he did, he set an example for his children of a
life lived with great integrity.
Paul was born in New Jersey on June 17, 1958, to Norma (Barone) Walako and the late Paul V.
Walako. He grew up in Topsfield, Massachusetts, graduating in 1976 from Masconomet
Regional High School.
At Eaton Corporation/Axcelis Technologies, Inc. in Beverly, Massachusetts, Paul was a Senior
Operations Manager before he retired earlier this year following more than 40 years of dedicated
service.
Paul loved his family and friends immensely. He never liked calling attention to himself, but preferred sitting back and quietly observing all the interactions around him. He was an early riser, up at 5am to get on with the day. He was hardworking, loyal, incredibly smart, and a self-proclaimed “holder of useless information.” On holidays, he prepared the traditional dishes he grew up with and served up brandy and eggnog to everyone at Christmas.
Paul was a true lover of nature and thrived on spending time outdoors — fishing, golfing, or
hiking with the kids. For many years, the family vacationed along Lake Champlain. He
particularly loved taking the canoe out on the lake. He was proud to have taught his daughters to
fish — and remove their own hooks — when they were young.
The beautiful countryside around Frenchtown, New Jersey, has been a second home for Paul,
where he, Alayne, and the girls have gathered often to visit “Grandma” and celebrate holidays and family occasions.
Paul is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Alayne (Hollingdale) Walako; daughters Emily R. Papa and her husband, Anthony, of Florida; Hannah R. Walako and Kate E. Walako of Massachusetts; daughter Meredith Walako, granddaughter Madeline, and son Michael Walako, all of California.
He is also survived by his mother, Norma J. Walako, sister, Zanya Gissler, and brother, John Walako, of New Jersey; nephew Arnaud Spanos of New York; sister Lisa Walako and her fiance,
Charlie Perelli, of Pennsylvania; and his in-laws, Linda Hollingdale, Mary Loney, Barbara Hollingdale, and Bill Riley of Vermont.
We love you, Paul. You will be deeply missed and forever loved.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to Paul’s medical doctors at Beth Israel Lahey
Health in Boston, and his in-home hospice partners at BILH At Home, especially his nurse Anne Marie
DiPaolo. We’re so grateful for your compassionate care.
A celebration of Paul’s life will be held at Danversport, on Elliott Street in Danvers, MA, in the Terrace Ballroom, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 4:30 pm, followed immediately with refreshments. All friends and family are welcome to come and share memories and stories.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Lake Champlain International (LCI), an
organization that works to keep Lake Champlain “swimmable, drinkable, and fishable” for future generations (www.mychamplain.net), or to BILH At Home hospice (https://bilhathome.org/
giving).
Arrangements have been provided by Casper Funeral & Cremation Services, 187 Dorchester Street, Boston, MA 02127. ([email protected])