Obituary for Paul Charles Litchison
Paul Charles Litchison, 88, of Phoenix, NY died Saturday February 28, 2015
in St. Joseph’s Hospital after a long illness. He was born on May 19, 1926,
son of Paul Charles and Josephine E. Litchison (nee Whitecotton {Wirt}.
He spent his early childhood in Syracuse and high schools in Liverpool. Paul
joined the Boy Scouts in 1939, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 1943.
He was a U. S. Army veteran and served in Italy at the very end of World
War II. A huge fan of the Big Bands of the 1940’s, he greatly enjoyed events
at Drumlins and at the Persian Terrace of Hotel Syracuse.
Paul married Alma Jean Hill on October 21, 1950 at the First United Methodist
Church on West Genesee Street, Syracuse. They moved to Phoenix in 1954
where they raised four children, Louis, Charles, Becky, and Bonnie. Paul
worked for Allied Chemical at Solvay Process as a Lab Technician from 1949
to 1981. He was assistant and Scoutmaster for 40 years with Boy Scout Troop
20. He was a member of the Phoenix United Methodist Church; the
Kananake Canoe Club; the Joy Germ Club; and the Phoenix Village Players
theatrical group. He donated well over ten gallons of blood to the American
Red Cross over his lifetime. Paul loved family vacations camping in the
Adirondacks with his home-made camper, and later at Camp Litchhaven. He
loved music and played the ukulele and recorder instruments.
After retiring, Paul made and played a broom-handle wash-tub bass with the
“Chuckles ‘n’ Tunes”, performing hundreds of times at area VFW’s senior
facilities, and social venues for over 20 years. His friend, and radio personality,
Phil Market, dubbed him “Hot Tub Paul”! Reading, doing the daily word
scramble, and writing rhyming poems were his lifelong passions.
Paul is predeceased by his wife Jean, of 45 years (12/24/1995); his son
Charles (7/16/1990); a brother-in-law, Rev. Irving G. Hill (6/10/2010)
Surviving are his son Louis and Krista Litchison (nee Sweetser) of Manlius;
two daughters, Becky Betts of Baldwinsville, and Bonnie Litchison of
Oswego; daughter-in-law Diane Litchison-Kuzio (nee Reitz) of Fulton;
sister-in-law Marcia Hill (nee Coons) of Syracuse; eight grandchildren, Aaron
Litchison of Manlius, Stephanie (Betts) and Miller Young of Delmar, NY,
Katherine Betts of Hartford, Ct., Erica (Betts) and David Smith of Baldwinsville,
Amy (Litchison) and Brian DeMott of Fulton, Jeffrey and Cory (Greenwood)
Litchison of Fulton, Teresa (Litchison) and Carlos Cruz-Tejeda of Hawaii,
and Jaielle Litchison of Oswego; ten great-grandchildren, Emma Litchison,
Mya, Sawyer, and Macy Young, Charlotte Smith, Kayleigh, Skylar, Piper and
Aubrie Litchison, and Athena DeMott.
Calling hours will be at the Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home, Phoenix,
NY 13135, on Monday March 2, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m.. Services will be
at the funeral home on Tuesday March 3, at 11 a.m.
Contributions to: American Red Cross in Paul’s Memory.
in St. Joseph’s Hospital after a long illness. He was born on May 19, 1926,
son of Paul Charles and Josephine E. Litchison (nee Whitecotton {Wirt}.
He spent his early childhood in Syracuse and high schools in Liverpool. Paul
joined the Boy Scouts in 1939, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 1943.
He was a U. S. Army veteran and served in Italy at the very end of World
War II. A huge fan of the Big Bands of the 1940’s, he greatly enjoyed events
at Drumlins and at the Persian Terrace of Hotel Syracuse.
Paul married Alma Jean Hill on October 21, 1950 at the First United Methodist
Church on West Genesee Street, Syracuse. They moved to Phoenix in 1954
where they raised four children, Louis, Charles, Becky, and Bonnie. Paul
worked for Allied Chemical at Solvay Process as a Lab Technician from 1949
to 1981. He was assistant and Scoutmaster for 40 years with Boy Scout Troop
20. He was a member of the Phoenix United Methodist Church; the
Kananake Canoe Club; the Joy Germ Club; and the Phoenix Village Players
theatrical group. He donated well over ten gallons of blood to the American
Red Cross over his lifetime. Paul loved family vacations camping in the
Adirondacks with his home-made camper, and later at Camp Litchhaven. He
loved music and played the ukulele and recorder instruments.
After retiring, Paul made and played a broom-handle wash-tub bass with the
“Chuckles ‘n’ Tunes”, performing hundreds of times at area VFW’s senior
facilities, and social venues for over 20 years. His friend, and radio personality,
Phil Market, dubbed him “Hot Tub Paul”! Reading, doing the daily word
scramble, and writing rhyming poems were his lifelong passions.
Paul is predeceased by his wife Jean, of 45 years (12/24/1995); his son
Charles (7/16/1990); a brother-in-law, Rev. Irving G. Hill (6/10/2010)
Surviving are his son Louis and Krista Litchison (nee Sweetser) of Manlius;
two daughters, Becky Betts of Baldwinsville, and Bonnie Litchison of
Oswego; daughter-in-law Diane Litchison-Kuzio (nee Reitz) of Fulton;
sister-in-law Marcia Hill (nee Coons) of Syracuse; eight grandchildren, Aaron
Litchison of Manlius, Stephanie (Betts) and Miller Young of Delmar, NY,
Katherine Betts of Hartford, Ct., Erica (Betts) and David Smith of Baldwinsville,
Amy (Litchison) and Brian DeMott of Fulton, Jeffrey and Cory (Greenwood)
Litchison of Fulton, Teresa (Litchison) and Carlos Cruz-Tejeda of Hawaii,
and Jaielle Litchison of Oswego; ten great-grandchildren, Emma Litchison,
Mya, Sawyer, and Macy Young, Charlotte Smith, Kayleigh, Skylar, Piper and
Aubrie Litchison, and Athena DeMott.
Calling hours will be at the Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home, Phoenix,
NY 13135, on Monday March 2, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m.. Services will be
at the funeral home on Tuesday March 3, at 11 a.m.
Contributions to: American Red Cross in Paul’s Memory.