Paul Hegh Jr.

Paul Hegh Jr., loving husband and father, passed away on April 21,2023, surrounded by his wife, Carolann, and his daughters, Heather Anne (Kelly), Aimee Michele (Brian) and Britt Ashton (David). Paul fought a long battle against heart failure and sepsis which eventually took his life during his 24 day hospitalization at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Paul Hegh Sr. and Mildred Hegh (Wilkowski) and grew up in the far northeast section of Torresdale with his younger brother Gary. Paul attended Edmonds Elementary School, Harding Junior Middle School, and Frankford High School, developing lifelong friendships lasting decades. Paul met Carolann Hankin ,his future wife, in high school at the age of 16 and eventually, once their careers were established, the two of them married on August 26th, 1967 which lasted for 56 loving years until Paul’s passing.

Paul played basketball in high school and his talent for the sport earned him a lot of recognition from college recruiters and he was awarded a full paid four year scholarship to Temple University located in downtown Philadelphia.

He graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. His teaching career in Philadelphia spanned 6 years until moving down to Clearwater Florida with his young family in 1973 at which time he taught in Pinellas County for another 33 years retiring from South Ward Elementary School in 2006. He loved his students and rewarded them often with daily snacks, tough educational competitions that netted many of them trips to the Devil Rays Baseball games in the Florida Suncoast Dome, Rowdies soccer games and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football games. Paul, in his teaching role, was a compassionate man when it came to his students and was always sensitive to their needs each day. For instance, upon occasion he would encounter students who would show up in his classroom and once seated would lower their heads on their desk and fall asleep. Mr. Hegh would allow the student to continue to sleep because “he never knew what the child had been through the night before and felt that at the very least he could provide a safe space for his student to rest and refresh.” Paul was also a good role model especially for students without a father figure in their lives. Many former students often wrote to him about how much he had meant to them during their formative years and were so grateful for his guidance and kindness.

Psalm 103:13: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Always an ambitious and hardworking man, Paul in addition to teaching, worked at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Hospitality for over 40 years – A job he truly enjoyed.

In 2014 he decided to fully retire from the Sheraton.

Paul was a die hard fan of the Florida State Seminoles, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Rays baseball team as well.

Paul also was a proud Mason and belonged to the Philadelphia Frankford Masonic Lodge for the last 56 years.

Once relocated in Clearwater Florida, Paul became passionate about tennis and developed his skills for the sport while playing at the McMullen Tennis Complex. He kept himself active for many years on the hard courts until his knees gave out on him which caused him to give up the sport he grew to love so much.

Paul’s personality was magnetic. He enjoyed socializing and everyone who met him was drawn to his kind and friendly demeanor and beautiful smile which he freely shared with everyone. He was very compassionate about the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and donated to this charity on a regular basis.

Paul’s love for his three beautiful daughters ran very deep within him and there wasn’t anything he would not do for them at the drop of a hat. He was equally devoted to his two grandchildren Charlie, age 10, and Peyton Violet, age 6. They were the light of Paul’s life and both loved their “Pop” and the time they spent with him. His brother Gary and Gary’s family, wife Coleen and nieces Faith and Sierra were very special to him as well. His lifelong best friend Ray Szafran – “ his brother from another mother”, will miss him beyond words. The many friends he made during his life span were numerous and many were deeply saddened when they learned of Paul’s passing.

Paul also had a love for dogs and in particular, the Boxers. Our family had a total of six lively Boxers throughout the years i.e. Shaq, Jolson, Hanna, Macy, Sophia & Molly. Many have passed within the last few years and I know Paul would agree that each of them in their own special way made our lives a better place for having known them.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Family and Friends are welcome to attend a celebration of life for Paul which will be held at:

Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park and Funeral Home

Main Reception Room

2853 Sunset Point Road

Clearwater Florida 33759

Sunday, June 25th, 2023

1:00-3:00 PM

We encourage everyone who would like to attend the celebration of life to wear garnet and gold in honor of Paul’s favorite college and where all three of his daughters attended – Florida State University.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sylvanabbey.com for the Hegh family.