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Paul H. Shene Jr.

“Living long doesn’t mean existing for many years.

Living is not just existing. Living is actively doing things.”

Paul Harold Shene Jr., son of the late Paul Harold Shene Sr. and Jeanette Ballard Shene, died April 6, 2017, at 10:11 p.m. with his wife and son Prescott at his side.

Paul was born in Kings County, Brooklyn, on June 2, 1943. At the age of two he moved to the Saranac Lake area, in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. He attended Bloomingdale Grammar and Saranac Lake High School where he excelled in arts, sports, and academia.

He met his wife Paula Reardon (Currin) Shene at Southampton College, a center of Long Island University. Their first son, Paul Harold Shene III was born in Southampton.

Paul, with his family relocated to Bloomingdale in upstate New York. He graduated from Plattsburgh College with a Bachelor of Science degree in history. He taught at Saranac Central and Saranac Lake Central school districts. His second son, Patrick Howard Shene, was born in Saranac Lake.

Paul entered the United States Navy during the Vietnam War era with the enticement of Officer Training. He trained in Cryptography. His career was derailed when he was injured performing his duty as an MP. He served his remaining years as an E-4 while answering only to the commanding officer of Mare Island, Vallejo, California. His third son, Prescott Hugh Shene was born in Fairfield, California.

Upon discharge, he entered Sonoma State College, Rohnert Park, California where he studied under Bjorn Karlsen, one of the original writers of the SAT. Paul graduated with a remedial reading degree. Turning down an offer for a position in Silicon Valley, he instead headed for North Dakota where he taught Reading, and was the track coach with the distinction of being the first coach at Turtle Mountain High School to lead his runners to first place in the state meet.

Returning to New York he taught Reading in the Higher Education Opportunity Program at Southampton College where he helped his mentor Dan Draper produce the T-Square method of reading for the H.E.O.P.

He also taught at Arthur Kill Prison System in Staten Island and ESL at John Jay College in Brooklyn.

Heading to Florida to help his parents, he was hired to teach for the Eckhard Foundation at the privately owned prison for adolescent murderers in Okeechobee.

On his final relocation with his family, he traveled to Portland, Oregon where he and his wife worked for a season in real estate management until opening their joint tutoring business. Upon closure after 10 years because of a family death, their home school students all placed two to four grades higher, and of the 16 students expelled from local high schools, one returned to high school, and 15 opted for college.

In addition to his wife and three sons, he leaves behind two granddaughters: Brittany Nicole Shene SteinKellner and Samantha Lena Shene; two grandsons: Austin Bailey Shene and Prescott Hugh Shene Jr.; two sisters: Joan Shene Schaefer and Virginia Shene Whitelaw; two brothers: Michael David Shene and Steven Gregory Shene; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his sister Ruth “Tootie” Shene Harrigan and his brother Jerry Vaugh Shene.

Internment will take place July 22 at 1:30 p.m. at Brookside Cemetery, state Route 3, Bloomingdale, immediately following his brother Jerry V. Shene at 1 p.m.

People can send online condolences to www.brockettfuneralhome.com.