Paul Lefcourt

Paul Lefcourt, aged 87, let his “soul and spirt fly” on January 24, 2026. Born in New York City, New York on February 16, 1938, Paul was an accomplished scientist who had many interests and loved to tell a good story peppered with his witty sense of humor. He called the Pensacola area home for his final ~45 years.

With a bachelor’s from City College, a master’s from UNC Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. from Rutgers, Paul spent most of his career working for the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC and the Gulf Breeze R&D lab focusing on water quality. He retired after an accident left him with a mobility impairment.

Paul’s many interests included a voracious appetite for reading, sailing, jazz, crossword puzzles, cooking on his houseboat, and writing. He wrote two books, Ghost Crab, a who-done-it fantasy and The Autobiography of a Biped, an account of his life in prose poems.

Paul is survived by his three children; Hanne (Doug), Eric (Janis), and Holly (Dave) and his six grandchildren; Sean (Libby), Brittany (Peter), Troy, Ian (Sara), Andrew (Courtney), and Lucian as well as his four great-grandchildren; Anderson, Amelia, Noah, and Aviana.

Paul is also survived by his beloved significant other of 30 years, Joy Ward. She was a loving partner in good times and devoted caregiver in his declining years. Paul kept up with a cadre of lifelong friends and his charming wit will be sorely missed by all, including his sweet cat, Stella.

A celebration of life sunset cruise will be held on the Pensacola Bay Ferry on February 14th. Friends are welcome to join along for a toast to Paul. Details of other remembrance celebration(s) will be posted later this Spring.