Paul Paffett, Sr.

Paul D. Paffett, Drexel Hill Strongman, dies at 83



Paul Paffett, who became a legend in Drexel Hill and the surrounding area for his immense strength, died on September 24 at Bryn Mawr Hospital. The cause was lung cancer.



Paul, the eldest surviving child of Daniel James and Florence-Marie Paffett, was born in Darby, Pennsylvania, on June 23,1934. The family lived at 727 Stanbridge Road in Drexel Hill. The detached garage, which originally held a workshop for Paul's father, a carpenter, was later to become the local headquarters for a group of young men with a very different purpose.



Paul attended Saint Andrews Parochial School in Drexel Hill and West Catholic High School in Philadelphia. He was an excellent student. His academic achievements, which included being named a Latin scholar, led to his being hired by General Electric for training as a mechanical engineer upon his graduation in 1952. He attended Drexel University at night while working in G.E.'s Switchgear Department by day. Paul worked as a mechanical engineer designing industrial circuit breakers and related electrical industry equipment that was used all over the United States. Paul once remarked, after the first great New York City blackout in the mid-1960's, he may have designed the circuit breaker that failed to operate which been traced to the origin of the blackout. He later found out that the faulty breaker was not his design. This disappointed him somewhat, thinking that would have been a notable addition to his resume.



But it was in his mid-teens while a high school student at West Catholic that Paul made a decision which dramatically changed his life. He bought a set of barbells and began lifting weights. He transformed himself from a tall, thin youth of over six feet and weighing only one-hundred and fifty pounds to a muscle man of six-feet two inches and two-hundred and fifty pounds. His first gym was in his bedroom which he shared with his younger brother, Nick. As he became stronger and the weights became heavier, he built a weight-lifting platform in the bedroom. This required changing the beds to bunk beds in order to fit the platform into the room. Paul slept on the top bunk and Nick on the bottom. One night, after growing to well over two-hundred pounds, Paul's weight caused the bunk bed to collapse, nearly crushing his little brother, who escaped an early demise by having rolled over to one side of the bed in his sleep. After nearly squashing his brother and also having caused large cracks in the dining room ceiling below by dropping barbells, Paul moved his gym to the family garage, emblazoned with a sign in Old English typeface reading "Paul's Gymme", it became a gathering spot for a circle of friends, some of whom also began lifting weights.



Paul enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1957. He was originally stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, working as a vehicle mechanic. He was later assigned to the 98th General Hospital in Neubruecke, Germany, where he worked as a clerk for a sergeant-major. He used his immense size to avoid details such as guard duty and attendance in parades and inspections. These details required wearing a Class A uniform and standard U.S. Army Class A uniform sizes would not fit him. He once described popping a button off his uniform shirt and, when ordered to pick up the button by the inspecting officer, he split open both sides of his uniform shirt. Freed from the burden of Class A uniform functions, Paul travelled widely in Europe, both in a car purchased there with a buddy, and in U.S. Army transport planes. He mastered the art of befriending U.S. Army airmen in local taverns and would then hitch free rides on army flights all over Europe.



After his military service, Paul continued working for General Electric and lifting weights. His initial goal was to become a body builder, but once this was achieved Paul became a serious weight lifter. He trained in the three Olympic lifts of the clean and press, the snatch, and the clean and jerk. He once totaled over one-thousand pounds in the three lifts, a remarkable achievement at that time. He began entering weight lifting contests and once won the Philadelphia heavyweight weight-lifting championship. Severe injuries to his knees probably kept him from becoming a member of the U.S. Olympic team in the 1960's.



Paul married Chris Schweitzer. The couple bought a house at 442 Harper Avenue in Drexel Hill, where they raised their son, Paul Jr. and daughter, Danielle, as well as Lori and Chrissy Schweitzer , Chris' children by a previous marriage. Paul traded in his love of weightlifting for his love of family. His love of family included his love of numerous dogs of all shapes, sizes and personalities over the years.



Strong in body and also strong in spirit, Paul was a pillar of strength for his family and friends. And his dogs.



Paul was predeceased by his beloved wife, Christine M. Paffett (nee Barron). He is survived by his loving children, Lori Grim (Bill), Chrissy Trickel, Paul Paffett, Jr., and Danielle Paffett (Laura Kennedy), his grandchildren Gabrielle Nicole, Cole, Jordan and Sawyer, his siblings Nick Paffett (Barbara), Martha Kasanow (David), and Faith Paffett-Lugassy (Leon) and his nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.



Relatives and friends are invited to visit the family Friday, September 29, 2017 10:00-11:30 AM The Donohue Funeral Home, 8401 West Chester Pike (cor. Lynn Blvd.), Upper Darby, PA (610) 449-0300 and to his Funeral Service at 11:30 AM. Interment private.



In lieu of flowers, contributions in Paul's memory to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, www.dravetfoundation.org or to the Immune Deficiency Foundation, http://primaryimmune.org or to the Animal Rescue Foundation of Southeast PA, www.ARF-SEPA.com would be appreciated.

Funeral Service

Friday, September 29, 2017 11:30 AM
The Donohue Funeral Home
8401 West Chester Pike Upper Darby 19082, United States