08/08/2026
At this posting there is still time to spread the news about a celebration of life which will be held at the Gardiner Fire house TODAY at 1:00 p.m. for Paul Mele, a veritable giant of the Gardiner community.
His obituary reads, "Paul J. Mele of Gardiner, New York, passed away after a brief illness, on July 30, 2026, at the age of 88.
Born on April 30, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, Paul was the sixth child of the late Carmine and Angelina Mele. He married the "girl next door," Emily Francese, on September 15, 1962. The two first met when he was just 10 years old and they went on to share a lifetime of love and memories together. Paul graduated from Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute in Mechanical Engineering in 1959. After several engineering positions at Grumman Aerospace, Hi-Temp Wires and the City of New York, he joined IBM, in Endicott, NY, in 1964 after the birth of his son, Carmine. In 1968, he transferred to IBM Poughkeepsie and moved to Gardiner, NY where the family grew to include Paul Michael, Rosanne Mary, and Mary Catherine. In 1993, he retired from IBM and opened his own business as a Professional Engineer which he operated successfully until 2024 when he retired to care for his wife full time.
Paul is survived by his son, Carmine Mele and his wife Janet, along with their children, Jennie, Rebecca, and Amanda, all of Gardiner, New York all of Gardiner, New York; and his daughter, Rosanne and her husband John, along with their children, Katelyn, Nicolas, Jonathan, and Jared, also of Gardiner.
He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Emily; his beloved parents; his in-laws, Frank and Mary Francese; his brothers, Joseph, Frank, Carmine, Anthony, and sister Rosaria; and his children, Paul Michael and Mary Catherine.
Paul loved the Town of Gardiner and the people he came to know, especially his friends from “the Porch.” He spent many years on the Gardiner Planning Board and several as the Town Engineer helping people build their homes here, as he did, often donating his time and talents to help them out. He has also donated significant gifts to NYSARC and the Town of Gardiner for the building of pole barn at Majestic Park.
The family extends a special thank you to Cathy, Rose, Carol, and Annesa, for all of their help these last few years, as well as the Goodnow family-Matthew, Meghan, Grace, Maddison, Hope, and Kae—and to Katerina, whose support he truly valued. He was also deeply grateful, and incredibly proud of his granddaughters, Jennie, Rebecca, and Amanda, for their constant love, support, and ability to always bring a smile to his face.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Paul's memory may be made to the Gardiner Fire Department whose selfless service and care meant so much to Paul and his family."
On a personal note, Paul was a generous and knowledgeable friend from whom I learned so much. Proverbs17:17 says, "A true friend shows love at all times And is a brother who is born for times of distress." Paul exemplified what it means to "be there" for a friend or for those he could help, whether an entire town or an individual, and I will miss his presence in my life very much.--L.A. McMahon
