Paul Anthony Vitagliano was born in Portsmouth, NH on September 10, 1963 to John and Lillian Vitagliano. Paul was the youngest of seven children. After graduating from Portsmouth High School in 1981, he followed his older brother, John, Class of 1978, to West Point. After Beast Barracks, Paul was assigned to Company E-2, where he quickly endeared himself to his classmates. Paul’s friendly, easy-going approach to plebe life provided a support system to the rest of the plebes in the company. During his yearling year, Paul was assigned to Company B-1 and joined the Rugby Team. On the rugby pitch, Paul’s competitive spirit blossomed, transforming him into an intense, fierce competitor. The support and camaraderie he provided to classmates off the pitch was magnified while on the pitch. Paul could always be counted on to be there when needed. This support and desire to win made him a great leader. People wanted to follow him; he made others feel important. As a firstie, the Academy recognized these traits and selected him to be a cadet captain and the commander of 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment.
Paul is probably the only Rugger at the Academy who found Juice interesting and enjoyable. He finished in the top 10 percent of his class academically, which was even more impressive because he concentrated in electrical engineering. Paul also excelled athletically, finishing near the top of the class every year on the APRT and IOC. In his spare time, he loved to spend time outdoors and was an active member of the White-Water Canoe Club. More than anything, he loved spending time with friends. Whether it was playing racquetball, rugby, or just hanging out, Paul was a great guy to be around.
After graduation, Paul went to the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, KY. Besides learning about tactics and the M60A3 tank, Paul played rugby with the Fort Knox Thunderbolts. For his first assignment, Paul went to South Korea. In 1986, he was a platoon leader in 2-72nd Armor at Camp Casey. With his quick intelligence and calm confidence, Paul excelled as a leader. The lieutenants at Camp Casey worked hard and formed tight bonds, enjoying cookouts and other parties at the “Rat Palace,” which was home to about 20 lieutenants.
After Korea, Paul moved to Fort Hood, TX, serving most of his time with 3-67th Armor as a company executive officer. Paul enjoyed Fort Hood because he was joined by his new, lovely wife, Terri. Paul had dated Terri for eight years, and they had gotten married in New Hampshire in January 1987. After a few years at Fort Hood, Paul and Terri moved to Fort Rucker, AL in early 1990 for the Aviation Officer Advanced Course.
In the summer of 1990, while Paul and Terri were enjoying a vacation with family in New Hampshire en route to the next assignment at Fort Stewart, GA, Paul received a call from his new unit: he was needed sooner than planned. In response to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, the 24th Infantry Division was preparing to deploy to the Middle East. Paul joined 4-64th Armor and headed to Saudi Arabia in August. The battalion was task organized into Task Force Tusker, and Paul was a battle captain in the tactical operations center. On February 24, 1991, Task Force Tusker launched its attack into the Euphrates River Valley of Iraq, playing a central role in the overwhelming success of Operation Desert Storm. After Operation Desert Storm, Paul was awarded the Bronze Star and returned to Fort Stewart in March, until he left active duty in September 1991.
After the Army, Paul put both his engineering and leadership skills to use for Johnson & Johnson. From 1992 to 1999, he progressed from being an engineer team leader to logistics manager in Illinois and New Jersey. During that time, the size of the family doubled to four, with the addition of their sons, Matthew, and Christopher. The family moved to Maine for the next 10 years, while Paul worked for Lonza Bioscience as operations manager, site director, and head of the worldwide molecular biology business unit. The family moved in 2010 to Virginia, where Paul was the Vice President and General Manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific. After seven years of thriving in that position, Thermo Fisher promoted Paul to Vice President of Global Operations and allowed him to work from any location. That delighted Terri, as they were able to move home to New Hampshire.
Paul loved hiking, and he invited friends, co-workers, and family to join in his adventures in various states. Some favorites were Mount Katahdin in Maine, hut-to-hut hiking along the Mount Washington Presidential Range in New Hampshire, Old Rag in Virginia during a full moon, and Mount Le Conte in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains. He loved coordinating packing lists, driving to the destinations, and leading the way. Winter ski trips in New Hampshire, Maine, or West Virginia with family members and friends were also a fun, yearly event.
In the early days of the pandemic, Paul became ill. Despite fighting to the end with his characteristic fierceness, Paul unexpectedly succumbed to complications due to the virus.
Paul lived life with a positive attitude, always supported those around him, and placed others before himself. Paul was very proud of his sons, who continue in their father’s career path as engineers. He was a devoted husband, father, sibling, and friend. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, near and far.
— Terri Vitagliano and classmates