Paul James Guida

PAUL JAMES GUIDA, son of Anthony and Carmel Guida, of Falls Church, Virginia, died October 17, 2015. He passed at the age of 68, due to diabetes and heart complications. Throughout his early life, Paul was educated in Catholic schools in Northern Virginia starting with St. Thomas More, and continuing through Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. In 1962, the Guida family moved to Rome, Italy and Paul attended Notre Dame International High School (NDI). The family stayed for a period of five years, throughout the heydays of “Cinecitta” and “La Dolce Vita” on the Via Veneto. Paul acted in two films while living in Rome: “Cast a Giant Shadow” and “To Catch a Fox”. During this time, the Guida family spent their summers in Germany, France, England and Spain. Paul excelled in sports in High School and was a prominent basketball player during his junior and senior years at NDI. His father, Tony, coached and led the team to a second place championship in the European basketball league. In addition to basketball, Paul's first passion was pole vaulting. After High School, he attended the University of Maryland in Munich, Germany for his freshman year. He then went on to further his studies in International Relations at Georgetown University.

Paul was an active member in the Catholic Church. He was a parishioner at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Falls Church throughout his adult life. He loved to travel and was passionate about his BMW 650CC motorcycle. In 1969, he traveled extensively throughout Europe with his brother Jim. They drove throughout the Soviet Union in Paul’s newly acquired canary yellow Triumph TR6, which was referred to as the “Machine al Rocket”. Upon returning to the US, he was employed as a Construction Engineer, which brought him to Tampa, Florida and the Washington, D.C. area. Those who knew Paul, described him as a “sweet, kind and gentle spirit”.

Paul is survived by his mother Carmel Guida of Falls Church, Va., his brother Jim Guida, who resides in Italy, his sister Marie Cavanaugh, of Falls Church, Va, his sister Regina, of Burke, Va., and his brother George Guida, of Falls Church, Va. His father, Anthony Guida, preceded his death in July of 1991. He leaves behind four nieces and three nephews to whom he was very fond.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to:

Catholic Relief Services

www.crs.org