Obituary

Paul Joseph Mehal of Lake Wales, Florida, passed away April 30 th at Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale, FL. Paul was born July 24, 1941 to Hedwig (Duchon) and Joseph Mehal in Natrona, Pennsylvania. Survived by Judith, his wife of 53 years, of Lake Wales, Florida, his daughter Mary Ann (Robert) Bauman and granddaughter, Aubrey Elizabeth Bauman, of Winter Haven, FL. Also survived by nephew, Michael (Shari) Mehal, great niece, Marissa Mehal and great nephew, Jacob (Tavia) Mehal of Pennsylvania. Preceded in death by his parents, sister, Marian (Joseph) Tresten, brother, Thomas (Ann) Mehal and sister, Dorothy and brother, Joseph. Paul played football for and graduated from Harbrack High School, Natrona Heights, PA in 1959. Paul attended The Citadel and The University of Richmond on football scholarships. After attending The University of Richmond, Paul served in the U.S. Army as a medical corpsman stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Robert Morris University in 1972, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. In 2007, he was awarded an honorary degree from The University of Richmond. Paul was a lifetime member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity where he made many lifelong friends who shared his love of practical jokes. He was also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and founder of the Virginia chapter of the National Association of Tax Practitioners. He was a business analyst with Dun & Bradstreet in Pittsburgh, where he met his wife, Judy. They were married August 31, 1968. In 1972, they moved to Richmond, VA where Paul worked for Coopers & Lybrand and Mitchel Wiggins Company. He earned his CPA certification while in Richmond. In 1977, they moved to Northern Virginia, and he became the CFO of the Richards Group, a real estate development firm in Fairfax, VA. Paul established his own accounting practice and Leisure Travel USA in the late 1980's. He operated both businesses until he retired from accounting in 2006. He continued to operate Leisure Travel USA after moving to Lake Wales, Florida in 2010. For more than 20 years, Paul was an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College where he taught accounting, tax and business classes. He was a soccer coach, PTA president at Wakefield Forest Elementary School, a member of the Wakefield Players theater group and coordinator of Eucharistic Ministers at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in Annandale, Virginia. After moving from Northern Virginia to Lake Ashton in Lake Wales, Florida, he and Judy loved caring for their granddaughter, Aubrey. They read, played ball, cooked, baked cookies and acted out plays. Paul and Judy traveled extensively, visiting 6 continents and more than 50 countries. They loved ocean and river cruising, especially sailing on Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruise Lines. Paul was an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Virginia Tech Hokies. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, World Central Kitchen or another charity. A celebration of life for Paul will be held at future time.