Obituary: Paul DeCoster

Paul Howard DeCoster, of Woodbridge, 89, died November 1, at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Born November 8, 1933, in South Paris, Maine, and raised in Laconia, New Hampshire, Paul was a graduate of Yale University and Law School and practiced law in New York City for 42 years before retiring to Woodbridge with his wife, Judy, in 1999.

In retirement, Paul dedicated himself to community service and local causes, such as the Amity Woodbridge Historical Society and Massaro Farm.  A life-long student, he took courses in mathematics, statistics and history at Southern Connecticut State University for 15 years.  He also was a patron and appreciator of the arts, particularly music.  Finally, Paul was a life-long servant of the Democratic Party, an institution he was dedicated to and, invariably, disappointed by.

In addition to Judy, his wife of 65 years, Paul is survived by his sister, Carol Innes, his three children, Emily, Paul and Matthew, his daughters-in-law, Raquel and Erika, and his sole grandchild, Jesse Durbin.

A memorial service was planned at the First Church of Christ, Woodbridge, on December 10.  To share memories of Paul, visit paul-howard-decoster.forevermissed.com.

The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to organizations that Paul was dedicated to:  The Massaro Community Farm Legacy Fund, established by Paul and Judith DeCoster, https://www.valleyfoundation.org/articles/massaro-farm-legacy-fund, or to the The Amity and Woodbridge Historical Society (woodbridgehistory.org).