Paul Thomas Meagher of Westport, MA died unexpectedly on June 8, 2023, in Westport, MA. A proud Irishman and native speaker, a decorated British Royal Marine, a skilled diver and accomplished sailor, business executive, world traveler, a student of Irish and military history, a proud father, and a charming raconteur, Paul will be remembered for the breadth of his knowledge, his facility with the Irish language, his unbounded curiosity, and his tendency to good naturedly tell you something new or perhaps correct your understanding of something old.

&Paul was born in Dublin, Ireland on Dec. 3, 1943, the eldest child of Thomas Francis and Elizabeth (O'Reilly) Meagher. He attended Coláiste Mhuire in Dublin gaining a Fáinne Óir as testament to his fluency with the Irish language. He joined the Royal Navy and later the Royal Marines where, as a Marine Commando, he saw combat in Aden, Borneo, and the Sudan; was a guide on HMS Victory (Nelson's flagship), and bodyguard to HM Queen Elizabeth II on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Paul graduated from Plater College in Oxford with an Associate's Degree in Economics and gained a degree in Monetary Economics from the London School of Economics.

In 1971, he married Janice Baldwin of Boston, MA where they relocated in 1979. There he held many managerial positions culminating in a move to Singapore for the Marcam Corp. from which he retired in 1999. Though Paul and Janice divorced in 2000 after nearly 30 years, their lives together were filled with many happy travels and great joy in the birth of their son, Thomas William in 1981.

In 2000, Paul traded his world travels for the quiet scenery of a home on the Westport River. Here he found the solitude he craved and also friendships nourished by opportunities to impart his knowledge of all things Irish, read his books, and share his military and maritime experiences. Many in these communities have lost a good friend and generous volunteer who gave his skills and time to organizations that fostered his interests. He served as President of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick (2011-2013), Co-Chair of their Scholarship committee, and as a docent at the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the Fort Tabor Military Museum, New Bedford.

Paul always felt a strong connection to his family's roots fostered by summers on the family farm in Killea in County Tipperary. His final visit there in 2014 with Marianne was a fitting way to mark his 70th birthday.

Paul was predeceased by his parents, his sister Elizabeth Schellinger, and his former partner Susan Berry of S. Dartmouth, MA. He is survived by his son Thomas William Meagher of Seattle, WA; his sister Terry O'Connor and her partner Val O'Connor of Ireland and Spain; his loving partner Marianne Mueller of North Dartmouth, MA; and his former wife Janice Baldwin of Putney, VT. He leaves numerous friends in the Westport –New Bedford area, neighbors and members of the associations he loved, a large library, and many unique memories of an adventurous life.

Paul's life will be honored at a memorial mass on July 1, 2023, at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church, 110 Summer St., New Bedford, MA. A gathering will follow. Memorial donations may be made to the scholarship fund of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, New Bedford, MA