Paul Russell Slocumb

Paul Russell Slocumb, April 14, 1944 – July 26, 2024 After a long illness, Paul Russell Slocumb passed away peacefully at the Veteran’s Home in Scarborough, Maine, on July 26, 2024, at the age of 80. His parents, the late Freeman and Pauline Slocumb of Malden, MA, gave him many gifts from a keen sense of humor to the value of service to others. There were a number of special family members; he grew up with three siblings – sisters Elaine Slocumb (Barbara), Paula (Kenneth) Forsythe, Elizabeth (Douglas) Patton (deceased); and two special nieces, Susan (Gary) Forsythe and Kimberly (Brian) Gallagher. But the one person who played the most important role in his story was his wife, Margaret Robinson Slocumb, with whom he shared his life for more than 40 years. Paul’s story began with his family of origin. His dad was a playful jokester, handy fix-anything guy (Paul missed that lesson), unafraid of an off-color expression. His mom was great at making money stretch, loved to read, and was a pretty and gentle church lady. They made a good team. Paul was the oldest child, the only boy, and the apple of his Nana’s eye. His sister Elaine (AKA the big fat pain) was one year younger … but to use his mother’s words, “Elaine taught him to ride a bike and told him where babies came from.” They were good friends. His sister Paula (AKA Dodo) was six years younger than Paul. Growing up, she was too young to be a friend. Elaine and Paul teased her relentlessly. Fortunately, they all grew up and decided they all actually liked each other. Dodo was in many ways the glue that kept the family together, especially after their parents were both gone. Christmas Eve and Day have been at her house for decades. Paul’s pesky baby sister Elizabeth (ASA Betty Ann) was eleven years his junior. She experienced a few speed bumps, but she grew up, straightened up, and met the love of her life, Doug. Tragically, she died in a car crash not long after they married when she was 23. Paul’s adult life was further shaped by enlisting in the Navy not long after graduating from Malden High School in 1961. He worked with naval aviation and was deployed landside in Nashville, TN, and Guantanamo, Cuba. He came home without a tattoo and confused about his future. He moved through several occupations from bank teller to lineman for the phone company trying to find something that fit. His mother was quoted as saying, “If I was ever to write a book it would be called, Never Give Up on Your Son.” And she was right! At age 27, he took the GI Bill and ran with it. By age 36, he had earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate in Special Education at Boston University. He met and married the love of his life, Margaret, and together they moved to Portland where they were both employed by the Portland Public Schools in Special Education. They spent the rest of his life in the greater Portland area, ultimately buying their forever home in Cape Elizabeth, not far from the Portland Head Light. Paul could be described as a renaissance man. He was a quirky, smart and funny guy, filled with laughter and crazy faces. He was almost never on time. In fact, placing a one dollar bet on Paul and Margaret’s arrival time became a Christmas Eve family tradition. He was passionate about many things. First, music … specifically the drums. Anyone who lived within a block of his family home knew when he was practicing. His love was jazz, especially 1960s era drummers like Art Blakey, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich. He played his whole life, capping his career by joining the Worship Band at his church, the Church of the Nazarene in Cape Elizabeth. By midlife he had found a deep and personal spiritual life. He attended church, Bible Study, and read the Bible most every day. His faith was strong and he lived a life full of Christian love of all people. In fact, after he retired he went back to school and earned another Master’s in Christian Counselling and spent time at Maine Medical as a hospital chaplain. Paul was an athlete. It started with the swim team at the YMCA in high school. Then he added running every day, no matter the weather. Finally, it was biking and, you guessed it, triathlons. He also swam the Peak’s to Portland every year, well into his 60s. His garage was littered with multiple bikes and wet suits! He became interested in the deaf and hearing impaired community and spent time at Baxter School for the Deaf. He immersed himself and became a fluent ASL signer. He took this skill in combination with experience as a Special Education teacher to become an Education Specialist/Consultant with Portland Public Schools. He did the IEPs for children who were deaf or hearing impaired and consulted with teachers about classroom accommodations. As he moved into his mid-70s, he began to experience multiple health issues that severely limited his abilities. He moved from their Cape Elizabeth home and spent his final chapter at the Veterans’ Home in Scarborough. In his final weeks, Hospice contributed to the physical and spiritual peace he ultimately found. He received loving and respectful care from the Veterans’ Home and Hospice staff, for which the family is forever grateful. He enjoyed so many friends and extended family at each bookmark. His story definitely included their cat, Herman, “such a good boy.” Some were close for a chapter, others for a section, and a few for the most all of the book. Each person played a unique role in his happiness, development, growth, and what can finally be looked back on … Paul’s life story. He has loved so many, named or not, but especially his wife Margaret. He adored and protected her, as she did him. Services are private.