Paul Gregory Corrado
April 27, 2024
He was born in Chicago to Michael N. and Anne E. Corrado. As a Boy Scout earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and was a Senior Patrol Leader. He graduated from Notre Dame College Prep H.S. in 1962, went to Loras College in Dubuque Iowa for a year, then transferred to Purdue University earning a B.S. in Landscape Architecture in 1966. He received a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, in 1972. Upon entering the Army Paul was one of 37 graduates, out of 100+ starters, in Officer Candidate School in 1968, receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. In Viet Nam he served as a platoon leader building roads and airfields. During his life, Paul lived in 11 states and 3 foreign countries, and was a registered Landscape Architect in 4 of them, including California and Nevada.
While Project Landscape Architect for the King Saud University and the international airport in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, Paul cruised the Nile, Greek Isles, and Yang Si. He traveled by train from Nairobi to Mombasa, Cape Town to Johannesburg, Shan Xian to Beijing, and Cairo to Abu Simbel. Over his life he visited 50 countries, 19 in Asia alone, and all 7 continents.
Paul was an excellent figure skater and was once offered a chance to tour with the original Ice Capades.
On November 24,1989, he married Judith, his wife of now 35 years and the love of his life. They lived in Pleasanton and Danville, CA, before retiring to Carson City, NV in 2004. They shared their last homestead with 23 Jeffery Pines, many over 100 feet tall, and a hundred years old. Paul loved the trees and landscaping this little acre of joy.
Paul helped his wife Judi raise two children, Brandon Smith (Sara) and Jason Smith (Shilo), both of Reno. Paul loved BJ and Jason. He is survived by these two stepsons and 5 grandchildren who call him, “PaPaPaul”. Additional survivors include his brother Frank Corrado (Karen), niece Kelli, two nephews Michael (Michelle) and Joseph, and three grandnephews.
Paul’s work career spanned over 50 years, as a landscape architect and planner. He grew up working in his dad’s garden center. He worked in
Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, Maryland, Missouri, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Georgia, California, and Nevada. Paul worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for 23 years, the first 12 as a site planner, the last 11, interviewing scientists and gathering historical contamination/hazard information on facilities prior to demolition. He retired at 69, with a process he developed being designated, Best in Class, by the U.S. Dept. of Energy.
In 1994, he started on a journey, that in retirement, would become his passion, assisting the incarcerated in California prisons. He became an “Offender Work Force Development Specialist”. He was a Certified Practitioner of Myers-Briggs Instruments and was able to use his knowledge and experience in planning and life goal setting to develop a curriculum titled, “Life Learning” which focused on reducing the rate of recidivism through knowledge of life gathered from thousands of mistakes, goal setting, and achievement. He often said he was energized in the presence of other people. Paul was a practicing Catholic starting as an Altar boy at St. Tarcissus Parish in Chicago, and finishing his life at St. Teresa of Avila. He went to Mass every week of his life that he could. Paul will be greatly missed not only by his family but by friends and relatives whom he kept in close touch with over the years. Funeral services will be held on May 24th at 11 am at St.Teresa of Avila Church in Carson City, Nevada. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St.Teresa.