Paul Sulzinski Sr. of East Quogue died on February 21. He was 79.
Mr. Sulzinski was a native New Yorker born in 1942 in Flushing, Queens, to Stanley and Valerie (Milouski) Sulzinski.
Mr. Sulzinski’s family moved to Westhampton, where he grew up and graduated from Westhampton Beach High School in 1960.
He began work as an automotive mechanic for Lindenhurst Dodge and was then drafted. In 1964, Mr. Sulzinski entered the United States Army after completing Basic Training at Fort Dix in New Jersey. After completion of his Advanced Infantry Training, he was then stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas. He went on to become a proud member of the First Infantry Division, nicknamed the “Big Red One.”
In December 1964, while on leave, he married his sweetheart Helen Pestone. A few short months later, he was deployed to Vietnam, where he served in the Tay Ninh Province with the 2nd Battalion of the 33rd Artillery.
After his service during the Vietnam War, Mr. Sulzinski returned home where he and his wife began their life as a married couple. They purchased a home in East Quogue, where they raised their children.
Among his hobbies, Mr. Sulzinski was a shooting enthusiast and was member of the Quogue Gun Club, where he competed in various shooting competitions, even winning the club champion award during his membership.
Mr. Sulzinski worked as a marine mechanic at Raynor Mitchell Marine until his retirement in the 1980s.
He is survived by his children Paul Sulzinski Jr. (Sarah), Theodore Sulzinski, and Laura Jean Sulzinski; his grandchildren Matthew Sulzinski, Peter Sulzinski, and Christina Kearns. He was predeceased by his wife Helen Sulzinski; and his brothers Theodore, Stanley and Steve Sulzinski.
A graveside service was held on February 25 at the Calverton National Cemetery. A memorial service will be held during the summer of 2021.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to The Southampton Town Animal Shelter Foundation (southamptonanimalshelter.com) or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (tunnel2towers.org).