Paul David Constantine
Marrowstone Island, Wash.
Oct. 22, 1942 – Apr. 23, 2017
Paul David Constantine passed away unexpectedly on April 23, 2017. He was found peacefully at rest in a chair in his home on Marrowstone Island. His wife, Kathy Constantine, was out of town at the time but had requested that a neighbor check on him when she was unable to reach him after several attempts. Although Paul left us earlier than he would have liked, the nature of his gentle and swift passing was as if he had scripted it himself. Paul will be cremated per his wishes.
Most who knew Paul would say that he was warm and huggable and a truly funny and fun-loving guy. He was known to some as “Big and Warm” and to others as “Uncle Paul.” He had a quick wit and sense of humor and never failed to lighten the mood when conversations trended downward. Paul was highly intelligent, wise and well read. A tour of his bookcases gives browsers a good indication of his thirst for knowledge and the breadth and depth of his interests.
Paul was generous as a listener, helper, mentor and supporter and he freely shared his knowledge and wisdom with family, friends and colleagues. He cared little about money or possessions but cared deeply for other people. He was completely non-judgmental and always led with loving gentleness. He held the respect of friends and those he worked with through the years and was a most loving and supportive husband.
Paul’s interests included reading, sports, boating, scuba diving, motorcycle trips and, as a Texan at heart, he loved barbeque. He shared this love with his foodie son Brian. Throughout the years, he became a master of smoking and barbecuing meats and cheeses, among other things. More recently, he mastered the art of SousVide cooking. He loved to entertain and to cook, alongside his wife Kathy. Paul also shared his love of sports with Brian.
Paul grew up in Waco, Texas, where he and his family moved from their home in New York when his physician father, Oleinick Pavlovich Constantine was hired to work as a psychiatrist at the VA hospital there. His mother Ethelyn Guyon Brown worked as an English professor at Baylor University.
Paul lived an active young life. He participated in the Baylor Children’s Theatre, was active in sports in high school and was one of the three male cheerleaders, among other things. His parents introduced him to many educational and cultural activities while he and his sister Paula were young.
After graduating high school, Paul attended the University of Texas as an undergraduate and was active in theDelta Tau Delta Fraternity. At the university, he was in their Plan 2 program, which is for gifted and talented students. Following graduation, he entered the law school there. He graduated with a J.D. and later moved to Chicago where he began practice as a young attorney, working first in banking and later as a member of the development team at Lake Point Tower Condominiums. There he handled most of the Lake Point legal and administrative matters.
While living at Lake Point Towers with his young family, Paul became acquainted with Jim Jensen. During this time, Paul and his wife Joyce divorced and she moved back to Houston, Texas, where they had met. In 1973 Jim Jensen, who was then the President Of Grandtree Furniture Rental Corp., requested that Paul move to Portland, Oregon to scout new locations and analyze feasibility for this rapidly expanding company. This was a full time job for Paul. He was on the road most of the time throughout the Western U.S., finding retail and warehouse facilities for the company.
Paul lived in Portland until January 1982. He then relocated from Portland, Oregon to Austin Texas where he worked on other development projects.
When he was still in Austin, Jensen again recruited Paul to come to the Seattle area to work full time for Thousand Trails, Inc., again researching the company's real estate needs to support its national expansion. He worked in this capacity until 1987.
After concluding his time with Thousand Trails, he worked independently on a number of development projects, some of which were located on the Olympic Peninsula northwest of Seattle. His work in this area, combined with his love of water and boating, caused him to buy property on Marrowstone Island and to build a house there in 1989. Paul met his second wife, Kathy Constantine, soon after he moved to the island. They were initially casual friends and in 1997, eight years later, they were married.
In addition to his son Brian, from Houston, Texas and wife Kathy, Paul is survived by: His daughter-in-law Terri, his two granddaughters Lauren and Lindsay; his sister Paula Perron, her husband Jerry, and his nephews, Marney Edwards, Mark Edwards and Daron Edwards; his step-son Michael, Michael’s wife Tara and their two children, Isabella and Gwendolyn; his step-daughter Karre, her husband Lassaad and their two children Ava and Mia.
A celebration of Paul’s life will be held at the Northwest Maritime Center, in Port Townsend, on Friday, May 5, at 2 p.m. Due to limited parking facilities and the anticipated high number of attendees, people should consider carpooling or using the park-and-ride adjacent to the Safeway store.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in support of student scholarships to The University of Texas at Austin in memory of Paul David Constantine. Gifts may be made online at https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/utgiving/online/nlogon/ or mailed to:
The University of Texas at Austin Gift Processing - David Bourland P.O. Box 7458 , Austin, Texas 78713-7458
