Paul L Formentini

Paul Formentini, 78, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on December 13, 2025. Paul was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, the first of 4 children born to Louis and Yolanda Formentini.

Growing up in the Heights, Paul spent many summers as a golf caddy at Idlewild Golf Course and loved to tell stories of his adventures there. His love of cars and meticulous attention to detail showed themselves early through his avid model car making. His award-winning builds featured seamless custom modifications and impeccable craft. At 21, he scaled up and purchased his dream car: a 1968 Pontiac GTO, which he kept immaculately maintained and really pushed to its limit. He had a need for speed!

Paul attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale for 2 years before leaving the cold and snow behind for sunny Tucson, AZ. He spent the following few years at the University of Arizona completing his degree in Architecture. You could catch him buzzing around campus in his custom golf cart… probably with a few friends hitching a ride on the back.

Paul met his wife Bonnie at a backyard party, and their courtship included weekly Saturday nights at Lunt Avenue Marble Club. They always had a table waiting for them and Paul would enjoy a scotch while Bonnie tore up the dance floor. They were married on October 15, 1983, and had two daughters, Lauren and Emily. Paul was so extremely proud of his girls, who completed degrees in Nursing and Architecture, respectively, and loved becoming a grandpa to his two grandsons, Nikolas, 5, and Julien, 1. Niko would spend his visits checking on grandpa in his office, taking rides on his lap, and talking all things cars. As soon as Julien could walk, he too loved visiting Paul's office, especially opening the pocket door all by himself.

Paul had an incredible work ethic. He spent most of his working years with SMU Mechanical, later KC Mechanical, not only as a designer and engineer but also as the office computer/network manager. On nights and weekends, he'd often work on projects for friends, family, contractors, and builders. His home was always a work in progress, building an addition as the family grew, overhauling the kitchen, remodeling bathrooms, building a backyard deck and creating a beautiful yard that he enjoyed every day until he passed.

Paul never let his physical challenges keep him from having a full life. From making his signature pizza, to always being ahead of the tech curve, or finding the most unique gadget - with the best reviews and at the best price, of course - he rarely had a day where he wasn't busy working on something. He cared greatly for those less fortunate, consistently donating to various causes that helped those in need have a better life.

Paul was a man devout in his faith and a member of St. Ambrose Parish. His last big project, and one he was so proud of, was the renovation of Ambrosian Hall at St. Ambrose School. Over 6 years and 50+ pages of drawings, the project was completed in the spring of 2025.

Paul is survived by his wife Bonnie, his daughters Lauren and Emily, grandsons Nikolas and Julien, brothers Louis and Jeffery, sister Mary (John), and 6 nieces and 2 nephews.

A funeral will be held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church at 10:30am (rosary at 10am) on Monday, December 29, 2025. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Water.org or the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.