Paul Vincent Timmins, age 68, a recent resident of Taunton, formerly of Norton, passed away after a brief illness on April 1st, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of Patricia A. (Patty) Neault Timmins, with whom he enjoyed 44 years of marriage, although he liked to joke it was the best 31 years of his life. He was above all else a Family Guy.
Paul, whom we also knew as Timmy, Dad, Uncle Paul, Papa, Mr. T and occasionally Bald Tim. Born in Jamaica Plain, the son of the late William F. Timmins and Mary K. (Burke) Timmins, grew up in Brighton alongside his sisters, brother, and his childhood best friend. Graduating from Christopher Columbus High School, class of ‘73. Paul continued his education, eventually earning his “Double Eagle” from Boston College where he began his career in public safety as a Campus Police Officer, then Sergeant and eventually becoming the Director of Safety and Security at Rhode Island School of Design. At RISD, he memorably kept students, faculty and the general public safe from dorm-room durian and art projects gone wrong. Paul was always a larger-than-life character and while there he inspired animators.
Since 2008, Paul worked at RE Mentor as a sales consultant and real estate coach, offering his expertise, creative solutions and advice to students and colleagues. He quickly formed friendships at the company that were as dear to him as family. He enjoyed vacations, Friday family meals on the patio and Chinese food buffets. Paul loved meeting and interacting with people, he served on a local Planning Committee and Industrial Development Commission. He and Patty were also Senior Members of the Bristol Squadron of Civil Air Patrol.
When the kids were little, he worked nights, but he and Patty made time to spend together as a family. Scoping out the best playgrounds, teaching the kids how to ride bikes... (and motorcycles) or how to outwit arcade and carnival games, and delivering the fastest go-cart ride! He loved to torture the kids by continually listening to Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Gray” at supper-times.
Before the kids, there were trips down the Cape, to New Hampshire and Maine, drives down the Kancamagus, hikes up Mount Washinton. There were fishing trips with John and trips to visit Patty at college.
After the kids, there were more trips, seeing how many loved ones could make it up for the weekend to share a cabin. There was a short cruise to Nova Scotia, visits to Florida, and a week in Ireland. Even a short drive to the canal to watch the seals with Patty or whale watches out of Plymouth with Matt and Nathalia could be an adventure. He never missed a season of baseball, especially with the Paw Sox. We could have had season tickets, but we spent that money on hotdogs. He loved hockey and made it to many games in Boston and Providence. Paul loved to explore and traveled off the beaten path especially if that is what the GPS told him to do.
Paul grew up spoiled by Papa’s baked beans, Grammie’s Irish Soda Bread, the perfect slice in the North End, fresh fried clams and local lobster, infinite Chinese dinners, and Patty’s brownies. He had a lifetime love affair with food and flavors and raised a foodie family. Every episode of the Phantom Gourmet is saved on the DVR, to make sure Theresa saw it and saved a few more places that were a must-try. His favorite chicken wings were garlic parm, but he was obsessed with every flavor that every single person brought to the Chicken Wing Cookout. You could ask him where the best Roast Beef sandwich was, or if he’d share some of his French Onion Soup or would like a bite of your Clam Chowder. Birthdays were at Chinese Food Buffets. He never missed the Brockton Greek Festival, often accompanied by Franklin and Dominique. We made it to the Berkshires for tacos, to Chinatown for pastries, and never missed Jim and Kristin’s cookouts and clam boils. Fall River has our pierogi place, and our favorite African restaurant is down the Cape. He loved sushi and seafood and soup, but honestly, given the chance, he’d try anything at least once.
In addition to his loving wife, Paul is survived by his children: Theresa; Matthew and his wife Natalia; James and his wife Kristin and son Steven; his siblings: William Timmins and his wife Mary, Rosemary Chouinard, Kathi Timmins and her partner Rich; his dear friends John and Barbara Brogan and their family, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family.
Visiting hours will be heldon Wednesday, April 12thfrom 4pm-7pmat the Crapo-Hathaway Funeral Home at350 Somerset Street in Taunton. His funeral service will be celebratedon Thursday, April 13that 11:30amalso at the Funeral Home. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Paul’s name may be made to a charity of your choosing. If you’d like to keep his memory alive, stop somewhere you’ve never been decked out in the finest and loudest red checker short sleeve button down. Love and Thank you, The Timmins Family.
