Paul R. Siragusa

Paul R. Siragusa, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and historian of the heart, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2025, after a brief but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.

Born in Norwich, Connecticut to John Siragusa and Clara Estelle Lamphere, Paul’s life was marked by curiosity, integrity, and a quiet passion for history and family. He was a confirmed Catholic being baptized at Saint Peter and Paul in Norwich, Connecticut. He graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1963 where he was in math club.

After high school, he started college at Northeastern University. His summers were filled with adventure—from a short-lived stint as an elevator technician at the Washington Monument (he quickly discovered vertical travel wasn’t his calling) to backpacking across Europe, immersing himself in the cultures and landscapes that would later shape his lifelong fascination with World War II. He ended his college with a degree in history from Northeastern University.

Paul began his professional journey with Aetna Insurance in Hartford, Connecticut, where he served as a Personnel Manager. His career took him to Aetna in Houston in 1975. In 1983 he made the move to San Antonio where he continued his career with ITT Hartford, eventually moving to the New York office where he ended his career in 1994. After retiring he moved back to San Antonio, the city he loved.

On March 29, 1969, Paul married the love of his life, Lucy Grandjean. Together, they built a life rooted in love, laughter, and shared adventures. Their travels took them across Europe, often with battlefield maps in hand and their children in tow, weaving history into family memories. From the Normandy beaches to Mont Saint-Michel, Paul’s encyclopedic knowledge of military history turned every trip into a living classroom.

Paul was a passionate war gamer from childhood, evolving from miniature figurines to complex board game tournaments. He designed several games based on World War II battles and later transitioned into computer war games, blending his love of strategy with emerging technology. His ability to recount the details of any battlefield, war, or cemetery was legendary—he was a walking archive of military history.

Paul and Lucy are proud Charter members of The Club at Sonterra since its inception in 1985, where Paul swam daily for over thirty years. Paul and Lucy were also members of the San Antonio Belgian club for as many years!

In the last few years of his life he and his wife Lucy found camaraderie in a boxing exercise group called POPSA. Paul also enjoyed cruising the world with Lucy, exploring new cultures and deepening his understanding of ancestry. His genealogical research connected him with relatives far and wide, enriching the tapestry of his family’s story.

Paul is survived by his beloved wife Lucy; daughter Celine (Jeff Johnson) and her sons Brandon and Travis; son Daniel (Laura Starr) and their daughters Madeleine and Justine; and younger sibling Linda (Ron).

Paul was preceded in death by his older siblings, Hugh and Loretta.

He also had many cherished cousins including first cousins Rosalie, Marie, Tony, Michael, Dickie, Frankie and Peter as well as multiple extended family members that he was always in touch with sharing stories of the family that he knew from his many years of research.

He was a modest man who lived simply, loved deeply, and gave generously. His honesty, warmth, and quiet wisdom touched all who knew him. Paul’s legacy lives on in the stories he told, the games he created, and the family he adored.

A visitation will be held for Paul on Monday, October 13, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. with a celebration of life starting at 4:00 p.m. at Sunset North Funeral Home, 910 N Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, Texas 78232.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to The American Cancer Society or The Michael J Fox Foundation.

He will be deeply missed—and always remembered.