Paul Szymanski

Paul Szymanski, age 85, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2026 at the Dayton VA Medical Center Hospice from Myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer.

Born November 17,1940 in Port Austin, Michigan, he grew up on a farm and attended a one room schoolhouse. He loved telling people he was the only 6th grader, and that he walked to school both ways uphill. He graduated from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1966, married Sandy and was drafted into the Army. He completed Officer Candidate School in Fort Belvoir, Va. and served as the Supply Officer for the 39th Engineer Battalion in Neu-Ulm, Germany from1967 to 1969.Taking a European discharge, he traveled Europe with Sandy and their young daughter, Julie, in a VW camper bus "until the money ran out". It was their greatest adventure! Returning to Dayton, Ohio, Paul owned and operated several residential construction businesses specializing in bathrooms.

Paul was an intellectual and creative spirit who "went with the flow". He approached life on his own terms and in his own way and rarely accepted a "no" as a final answer. He was known for his warm and outgoing personality, and inquisitive nature. He never met a stranger and was fiercely loyal to friends and family.

He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Clementine Szymanski (Miller) and brother George, and is survived by his life-long companion, Sandy Szymanski McLellan, his daughters Julie Szymanski and Rebecca Bailey, granddaughter Morgan Bailey of Centerville, his brothers Tom (Fran) and Richard (Josie), and sister Elizabeth Wenglikowski (Paul) of Michigan.

The family would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the staff at the Dayton VA Medical Center who provided excellent, coordinated care with skill and compassion over the 3 years of Pauls' illness, with special thanks to the oncology team and the nurses in the infusion center who became our friends.

The family will greet friends on Saturday, March 21st from 10am to 12pm at the Routsong Funeral Home Centerville Chapel (81 N. Main St.) with a service starting at 12pm. Burial to follow at the Centerville-Washington Township Cemetery (68 Maple Ave). A memorial service will also be held in Port Austin, Michigan at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dayton VA Medical Center (4100 W Third St, Dayton, OH 45428)