Paul H Attridge

Paul Howard Attridge, 86, died Monday, August 19,  2019 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

He leaves his wife of 54 years, Polly (Eaton) Attridge; daughter Jody, her husband Brock Holden, and adored twin grandsons Alex and Nick of Littleton; nephew David, his wife Polly and their three children of Westwood; sister-in-law Nancy Whitelaw and her husband David of Marshfield; and many close friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Walter and Elsie Attridge of Needham; and his brother, Walter Attridge, Jr. and his wife Irene.

Born in Boston, Paul was a lifelong resident of Needham. After graduating from Needham High School in 1951, he attended MIT, graduating in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Sloan School. He was a U.S. Army veteran.  He met his wife, Polly Eaton, on a blind date in 1961 and they were married in 1965 in Hillsboro, NH.

Paul joined the family insurance business, eventually becoming president of the Attridge Insurance Agency. During his 60+ year career he earned the trust of hundreds of customers, many of whom became life-long friends. Over the years his expertise and reputation led him to receive many top honors in the field. Paul was an active member of the American Trucking Association, an official of the Massachusetts Professional Truck Drivers Association, an officer of the Massachusetts Board of Fire Underwriters, and because of his acumen in mathematics he served as treasurer of many clubs and associations.

Since his graduation, Paul rotated through every officer role for his MIT class of 1955 over and over again. He was involved in every MIT reunion and helped members of his class to re-connect every year rather than every five years. In 2007 he was awarded the MIT Harold E. Lobdell Distinguished Service Award given in recognition of exceptional service and accomplishments in alumni activities.

He was very active in town affairs including being a member of the Needham Personnel Board, treasurer of the Needham Historical Society, and warden for many town elections. At the time of his passing he had been a Town Meeting member for well over 50 years, making him the longest-serving current member.  

An active member of the Needham Exchange Club for over 40 years, Paul received awards for the Division Director of the Year in 2012, and the New England District Exchangite of the Year in 2015. He served as Chairman for the Needham Fourth of July Celebrations twice, and participated on many committees during his tenure. His service in the Exchange Club was a great source of pride for him.

Paul enjoyed all kinds of sports, and had Bruins’ season tickets for over 40 years. In later years he attended as many Dennis-Yarmouth Red Sox games as possible while spending time at his vacation house on Cape Cod. He loved spending time with his family – particularly his daughter and his “wild indian” grandsons and their cat Bradley.

Visiting hours will be held from 4-7 pm, Sunday, August 25th at the Eaton Funeral Home 1351 Highland Ave Needham, MA. A funeral service will be held at 11 AM, Monday, August 26th at the Eaton Funeral Home, followed by burial at the Needham Cemetery, and a reception at the Chateau Restaurant in Norwood.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Needham Exchange Club to support their many charitable endeavors. 

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