Obituary: Paul D. O’Riordan

Paul D. O’Riordan, at 70
Paul D. O’Riordan, 70, of Hull, took his final plunge on Jan. 31.
He was a Vietnam veteran, who served with the 101st Airborne Division, and was the recipient of a Bronze Star for meritorious service in 1968.
Primarily educated in the School of Hard Knocks, his tutelage encompassed many areas of study, which included art and steam engineering. When he enrolled in school to become a pipefitter, he was the oldest student in his class, of which he was quite proud. He graduated from pipefitters school at the age of 42 and joined the Pipefitters Local Union # 537. He worked on the largest projects in the Boston area, including the Logan Airport expansion and the Big Dig.
After his retirement in 2011, he decided that the sea was calling him and joined the fleet of the Boston Harbor Cruises as a deckhand. A song written for him 40 years ago foretold of this calling. “He is happy as a lark, because he is not afraid of sharks, he is Paul O’ Riordan.” He enjoyed meeting all the new people and watching the ocean change. He shared his photos of the beautiful sunsets and risings on his journeys with his Facebook followers. On his days off you could always find him on Gunrock Beach, in his chair, with a book in hand.
Mr. O’Riordan was extremely active in his home group of AA, Scituate Centre. He also completed decades of work with Central Services, manning the phones every Monday night in service to AA. He was a firm believer that “Service is gratitude in action.” He met with the group several times a week and would journey with them to commitments in other towns. He truly felt that these people were his extended family.
As well as his love for books, he had a love of fishing and a hankering for birds, flowers, and nature, in general. He was a rabid fan of the Red Sox and Patriots long before it was fashionable. (And they broke his heart many times.) The Patriots’ win this year was just for him.
Mr. O’Riordan was a hardworking man, loyal, funny, kind, gentle, and respectful, and truly a man of integrity. “He is not gone, but temporarily out of our sight.”
He is survived by his fur babies, Dudley and Yellar; as well as his sisters, Melikka Perron of New Hampshire and Megan O’Riordan of Hull. Mr. O’RIordan also leaves his nephew, Jeffrey Gaeta, and his wife, Joanna; his niece, Jeweli Gaeta, all of New Hampshire; nephew Kyle Ferullo of Pembroke, for whom he relished the role of “Godfather” in so many different ways; and his great nephew, Kaimani Gaeta, who lovingly dubbed him “Uncle Older Than Dirt.”
Calling hours will be held at Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St., Hingham, on Saturday from noon-4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends make donations to NVNA and Hospice, 120 Longwater Dr., Norwell, MA 02061.
See www.Keohane.com for online condolences.