Paul Sigmund, 53, passed away on January 11 after a long illness. He was living in Riverside, California at the time.
Paul was a native of Princeton, NJ, a graduate of Stanford University and Michigan Law School, a banker, lawyer, technology industry executive and a Freeholder in Mercer County, New Jersey. Survivors in his loving family include his two daughters, two brothers and his former spouse. He is predeceased by his parents, Paul Sigmund III and Barbara Boggs Sigmund, of Princeton.
Throughout most of his life Paul was a vibrant, joyful person who lived, loved and connected to others fully. As one cousin put it this week, Paul had a “fierce confidence in life.” He was a surfer and lifeguard and loved the ocean. He collected comic books, music, and books and was widely interested in politics, history and lively conversation. He believed in the power of putting people together in business deals to build connections and create new vibrancy in the world. And he travelled all over the world and lived and worked in Spain and Chile.
And Paul brought others into his world fully. Everyone who came in contact with Paul came out better for it. His generosity knew no bounds. He had limitless knowledge and charm (and charm enough to make others believe he held knowledge about a number of subjects in which he had little to none). And pushing others to join him in his pursuits brought out the best in them, producing travelers, surfers and new converts to the music, books and culture that he loved.
And he loved his family and friends with an energy that could be overpowering.
The latter part of Paul’s life brought an illness that has and is taking the lives of so many and touching every family, proving again that addiction knows no barriers of race, income, ability, or deservedness. It takes indiscriminately, and it took down this man who had so much to live for and so much to give.
In lieu of flowers, Paul’s family asks that contributions be made to Womanspace, Inc.,1530 Brunswick Avenue, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 (womanspace.org)
