Paul Francis Coleman, 72, of Bourne, passed away peacefully on December 10, 2025 at home surrounded by the love of his family.

Born in Winthrop, MA on April 14, 1953, he was the son of the late Alfred and Alice (Daly) Coleman.

Paul was the devoted husband of Diane (Barton).  He was the loving father to Beth (Jonathan) Nickles, Stacey (Jonas) Contakos and Paul, Jr.  He was the cherished grandfather of Alice, Camden, Eddie, Mason, Thomas, Simon, Ruth and Gwen.  He was the faithful companion to his dog, Marge.

He is survived by his brothers Al (Rosemary) and Stephen (Rosalind) and was predeceased by Judith Wernig and Dennis Coleman.  He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Paul graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, class of 1975, with a marine engineering degree. He was a Merchant Marine and a Lieutenant in the USNR.

He worked extensively in the energy industry, from managing power plant operations to owning Coleman Fuel, a residential heating oil company.  He was admired and respected by everyone he worked with.  He was a tough, but fair, boss and a mentor to many. He held numerous professional licences, was a Master Plumber/Pipefitter and a member of Local 537.  He returned to Massachusetts Maritime in his retirement to share his expansive knowledge with the next generation of marine engineers, where his classes were sought out by students.

He was honest, humble, selfless, and a true friend who could always be counted on — a self-described “ workhorse, not a showhorse.”  He had the ability and willingness to fix anything, was a lively conversationalist, and never lost his mischievous streak.

He was an experienced sailor who won many a race as a past member of South Shore Yacht Club.  He found great joy and peace aboard his sloop Nemesis.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to MSPCA (support.mspca.org).

He will be forever missed and never forgotten.