Paul Pulla - RIP

News that Paul Pulla has passed away from heart and kidney disease. Paul was a Catholic school board trustee, recently resigned due to health reasons. He was a student, staff member and administrator for the last 50 years, retiring from the role of Director of Education for the Durham Catholic District School Board.
He was a year ahead of me, in my older brother's class.

Obituary
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of a great zenith, Paul (Paolo) Pulla at the age of 65. After years of battling many health challenges, he was taken to heaven surrounded by prayer, family and friends on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. He is predeceased by his father, Arturo Pulla, and will be dearly missed by his wife and best friend Lena (Pizzardi) Pulla and his mother Carolina (Assunta) Pulla. Paul will also be missed by his older brother Tony Pulla (Jan), his niece, Nikki Langfield (Geordie) and their son Hugo, his niece, Danielle Pulla and her children Emma and Jack and Paul’s nephew, Dr. Siommon Pulla (Melanie) and sons, Tavio, Fabien, and Alfeo.

A private funeral was held for Paul on Monday, April 15, 2019 and he was entombed at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Whitby.

Paul was born in Campobasso, Italy in 1953, and lived a short time in Montreal, Quebec. He then spent the rest of his life in Oshawa, Ontario. Paul dedicated 55 years of his life to Catholic Education as a student, Teacher, Consultant, Elementary and Secondary Vice Principal and Principal, Superintendent of Education, Director of Education and most recently, Catholic School Trustee. Paul’s commitment to his faith and passion for Catholic Education will never be forgotten by the many lives he touched.

The Pulla family wishes to thank the medical staff of the Nephrology, Cardiac and Critical Care Units at Lakeridge Health, Oshawa, as well as the medical staff of the Critical Cardiac Unit at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. A special thanks to Father Keith Callaghan of Holy Cross Parish, Oshawa.

A memorial mass will be held at 4:30 on May 21 at Holy Cross Parish, 373 Simcoe Street South. All are welcome and any donations in memory of Paul Pulla can be made to Holy Cross Parish.

requiescat in pace

Update August 2015

 Click on any pic for larger image:  John Donker & Tito-Dante Marimpietri (alumnus & city councillor)

 Suzanne, Anne & Suzanne (no further info)

Sister Anne Schenck, Paul Pulla (Director of Education) and Sister Conrad Lauber)

It's been awhile, and things have moved on.  The 50th Anniversary of the School has come and gone, and I've noticed that the official website is down.  I went and I was a little disappointed at the turnout. 

I've started collecting images around the web of the anniversary, and will be putting them up here, as perhaps a central place for archives.

My network of fellow students that I've kept in touch with is still in place, and I ping them once in awhile.  Just had a nice cafe chat with Carolyn who was named the Outstanding female graduate the year that I was named the outstanding male graduate.  One of my close high school friends has said to me "High school was sooo long ago!".  It's true, but it was a seminal period in my life. 

We are all older, and the list of the dead grows yearly.  One day it will be totally complete. To add to that list, is Howie Cannon.  He was in grade school with me at St. Joes, and went to OCHS along with many members of his family.  This is his high school pic and his obituary pic:

Time can be quite cruel to us all. Another one of my contacts just emailed me today and said that we are all getting long in the tooth.

However friendships forged in those crucible years last (at least they do for me), and although the past is the past, it is what made me today.

More reunion pictures from the web will be sporadically posted as I find them.  I hope that your universe is unfolding as it should, and should you wish, drop me a line.  I always respond.  

Best,

Ken

PS:  This link is a pdf history of the school that was compiled by Maureen Moloney, complete with pitchers -- although none suitable for colouring. Enjoy.  http://dcdsb.ca/DCDSB/History/Family06/Monsignor%20Paul%20Dwyer%20History%20Project.pdf

Cardinal Collins Blessing

(click for larger image)

This is the second shot in a series shot by Joan Taylor where Cardinal Collins is blessing the school.  Again, Paul Pulla looks on from the right.  On the far left, the deacon is W. (Bill) Higgins, who used to teach at OCHS.

Cardinal Collins Officiating

Cardinal Collins officiates at a 50th Anniversary reunion event of the school.  That's Paul Pulla, ex student and Director of Education at the far right.  On the far left, the deacon is W. (Bill) Higgins, who used to teach at OCHS.

(photo by Joan Taylor)

Paul Pulla Speaks

Paul Pulla, the director of education speaks at the reunion. To show you the passage of years, the second picture of this blog when it first started in 2009 shows a 15 year old Paul Pulla, with hair, working studiously in the Library. Sister Conrad, in her speech remarked how she first met Paul when he was 14, and now he was the director of education at the school board.

The One and Only Pollution Club ~1972

(click for larger image)

POLLUTION CLUB "The Pollution club is a newly formed club, concerned with our environment - the filth it contains and how to clean it up - be it air, water or noise pollution that is the offender." The quote on the back of the photo! Interesting to note that was the only year that OCHS had a club by that title

I was kind of shocked to see my brother's face in this pic. Maureen Moloney asked me what the replacement club was, and I told her that it was probably the Procrastinator's Club. They don't have the pic from 1973 yet.

People that I recognize in the photo include Ed Bodnar, Ed Johansen, Cathy Dixon, Doug Zochodne, Doug Hamlyn, Vince Gedge, Paul Pulla, Pete Maringer, David Cooper, Nancy Legree, Kathy Andrews and Mary Catherine Robinson.

The Library

This is a view of the library. In this photo, I can identify Vince Gedge looking at the camera, and Paul Pulla busily writing away.

The librarian was a nun, but her name escapes me at the moment now. If you recognise anyone else in the photo, please leave a comment.