Paul Shackel, a resident of the Bronx and Orlando, Florida, died on December 3, 2020. He was 67.
Mr. Shackel was born on December 20, 1952 in the Bronx to Matthew Shackel and the late Gloria (Pappas) Shackel. He attended PS 125 and St. Helena’s High School and was a parishioner of Santa Maria Church. For many years before his retirement he worked for the US Postal Service. He was an avid New York Yankees fan and love the NFL and college football. He had a passion to traveling across the United States and loved his Chow Chows.
He is survived by his wife, Donna Jean Messina; his father, Matthew Shackel; his sister, Valerie Mazzacane; and two nieces and nephews.
Visiting will be Thursday 5-9pm at Joseph A. Lucchese Funeral Home, 726 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx. Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday 10am at Santa Maria Church, 2352 St. Raymond Avenue, Bronx. Interment will be private.
Dear Donna and Shackel Family:
My deepest love and sympathies to your entire family.
Paul was a childhood friend, and though a little older then myself, always looked out for me and took
the time to say hello and catch up on friends and family. I know he was looking forward to enjoying
his retirement with Donna, and their dogs. He was a great guy and will sorely be missed.
May he rest in peace with the Lord.
Love,
Robert Denaro
You were my brother, but we were more like oil and water. Ten years ago you destroyed our family and on the 3rd our mother took you home. I have no malice towards you, or your family. I pray that your tortured soul finds peace .
Donna-I am so sorry for your loss. I pray that his memories and his essence sustains you in the years to come. Godspeed my Cousin.
My friend Paulie was a very complex guy .Wisecracking, both compulsive and impulsive ,competitive, sometimes quick tempered ,and stubborn, very stubborn! He was also very generous,compassionate ,funny, street smart, a Loyal friend and brother to his teammates,He loved Donna, his dogs ,his years at “The Park” and being a Cavalier God Love you my friend and God Bless you Donna.
Paul always treated me like a brother. I have a lot of good memories of him. He will always have a place in my heart. God bless him. Be strong Donna. I love you both.
Paul was a good neighbor and great friend. I enjoyed seeing him every Sunday and talk about many different things. I loved hearing his stories there are to many to name here. I enjoyed having Thanksgiving dinner with him and Donna and Matthew. Paul was a good cook but you would never know unless you were lucky enough to be invited for dinner. He was a kind and generous person but again you would never know with his rough exterior but I did and feel blessed I had the pleasure of knowing him. I will miss you my friend. May you Rest In Peace.
To know Paulie was to Love Paulie…. met Paulie 50 years ago when I was 8 years old. One of the most Loyal friends you could ever have. Street Smart beyond….but more importantly was the loving / benevolent side of Paulie that many people didn’t get to witness. As a kid hanging with Paulie ( 10 years older than me) was like being in a reality show….. me my brother Thomas , Frank, Ralphie, Danny Boy, ,Stella in PS 127 playing sports , talking sports, just being together….miss those days…they say behind every good man is great woman…. that’s where Donna comes in….my first boss when I turned sixteen at McDonalds LoL…. we love you Donna and we are all here for you… ALWAYS….your never alone….I am sure Paulie is holding court with God right now…I will miss you my friend…. God Bless you Paulie
Donna,
Paulie loved you and your life together. He was your soulmate and I didn’t know Donna without Paulie.. He was a great man who would do anything for anyone he knew…. all you had to do was ask him. Paulie will be missed. There are so many stories…
You are stronger than you think Donna!
Donna,
Paulie loved you and always will. Paulie was a good man who would do anything for anyone he cared for. Always so serious…always cared.
Donna you are stronger than you think and Paulie is sitting on your shoulder helping you through this terrible time.
Love,
Cathie
Donna
What can I say that has not been said already about Paulie……
He was one of a kind and I loved him dearly. We had a lot of
laughs and good memories. I know he will watch over you.
Donna there are no words to console. Your strength and faith will guide you. Love you cuz
Dear Donna,
I was so very sorry to hear of Paul’s passing. No words can ease the loss of a loved one, especially a husband who shared your life. As someone who has gone through this, my advise is to hold on to all the good memories and keep them close to your heart. I know that time heals. You will get through this. Pray for strength and it will be given to you.
Donna,
You know what I thought of Paul and you and your many acts of kindness to me. If it had not been for you and Paul I could not have gotten through what you are going thru now. He was a very kind and generous person to me and I will never forget the things he did for me. All the trips to the timeshares, Sea World and things I would never have been introduced to if not for Paul. He treated me better than my family did and always said I was family. I will think of him often and know that he is on another trip to a better and more beautiful place than he ever saw here on earth.
To Donna Messina and Matthew Shackel We are so sorry for your loss. Paulie was like family to me. I will never forget how much he used to make me laugh even when I was having a bad day. We will miss him dearly but he will always live in our hearts. May God give you strength and peace. Love Alvin and Cindy.
Donna, When I heard that Paulie died of a heart attack, I was not surprised. His Heart had worked so hard and so long for the people he Loved. He was my friend for most of my life. I can not think of a time when he was not there. Even during long stretches when we had no contact, I always knew he was only a phone call away if I needed him . Sometimes he could make it very hard to be his friend but then he would do something for you and you couldn’t think of a better friend.
Donna, Paulie loved you very much and we all love you as part of our family and will be there always.
Duggan my Friend , I know when you get to heaven you will make it interesting for God. God bless you and Donna !
Dear Donna
Sending all my love to you and your family. I will always keep Paul in my prayers. May his soul rest in peace and may God give you strength in this time of your greatest sorrow. Love Always. Josephine Stone
Donna, I am so sorry for your loss. I use to deliver mail to you and Paulie when you lived on Maclay. The laughs I had when Paulie would say to me that if I had something to say, he would throw the mail into the sewers and call the inspectors and say that i did it. He had a great sense of humor and was kind. Rest in peace friend.
I’m going to miss you Pauly. Felt like we looked out for each other. I must’ve looked skinny to you because you were always trying to feed me. Haha. But then I swear I started getting bigger! You were such a great guy. I loved changing your flags and I knew they meant a lot to you. I think of you every time I drive past your street. Your stories…ah, I will remember your stories forever. I wish I could hear more of them. I am so glad I got to know you. You were one of the very best Pauly. May you Rest In Peace and know that your memory will always live on.
Donna, please know that my family and I will always be there for you. We’re just a call away. We love ya both.
Donna so sorry for your loss. HE WAS THE KIND OF PERSON WHO WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR ANYONE. ALWAYS OFFERING TO HAVE ME COME TO VISIT AND VACATION WITH THEM . Just the kind of person he was. He left us way too soon.
I’m sitting here wondering what to write usually words come very quickly to me but not this time so here I go .I first met Donna And Paul about 35 years ago in Orlando I had just lost my daughter And most of the time I just Was wandering around aimlessly but then I met Donna And Paul and I felt a connection immediately it was so weird the connection that I had was wonderful Paul was the most wonderful man that I have ever met beside the man that I married . Paul was kind considerate He had a great sense of humor . Donna and I went into a cleaning business I didn’t last too long And Paul laughed about it all the time. I Can still hear him say you guys are cleaning houses for people who should be cleaning houses for you We all laughed about that and always talked about it as well There are so many things to say about Paul so very many and I’ve been reading everyone’s comments and everyone says the same thing how could everyone think the same way I do and then I figured it out because he was the most fantastic guy everyone ever had the pleasure of having him in their lives including me. Donna I am so sorry for your loss sweetie and I wish in my heart that I could be there with you you know that I’m sure you do I will be here for you whenever you need me and that’s not just words I will be here for you please don’t forget that and I love you so very very much and I know you will miss Paul a lot be strong baby be strong be strong for him strong for yourself . Well that’s it however I can go on and on and on and on and it would seem like I’m writing a book but this is very unusual for me and I miss him a lot and I feel bad for Donna I love her with all my heart I loved Paul as well we had so much in common
Dear Donna, I am so sorry for the loss..
Paulie was the best neighbor I ever had. While Kim and I were in Orlando, you and Paulie helped us in many occasions treated us like a real family and invited us for the Thanksgiving dinner every year. I miss all those, we had a very good time together.
You will never be forgotten, my friend Paulie,
Rest In Peace.
Paul and Donna,
I was your neighbor for 5 years in Orlando. We both have dogs and we soon became good friends. Paul was such a kind soul. He welcomed me whenever I stopped by, Shin and I spent Thanksgiving at your place ever year and I remember paul was talking about Yankees, Nexus shampoo (best shampoo according him!) and other stuff. I also remember Paul was often searching great deals on internet such as EBay or Expedia, he looked so happy when he found ones!
Now I think about how much I miss him. When shin and I moved out you took us for buffet. I will never forget all good things Paul and Donna offered me how kind Paul was.
Paul, Rest In Peace. Kim
Donna, we were very sorry to learn of Paulie’s passing. He was a terrific neighbor for decades and always bought such huge smiles to our faces over the years. Your cheeks use to hurt from smiling after running into him. Remember all the memories you created together and that he lives in your heart and will always be looking out for you. The Blake Family
Paulie was stubborn, opinionated, and vocal; which is why we loved him. Having known him for twenty years I was truly blessed to have him in my life. Very few people are larger than life, but Paulie was that. Across the country he drove to visit Saint Jude shrine, the next day off gambling. He loved just as deeply. My family’s thoughts and prayers are with you Donna.
Dear Donna,
My heart goes out to you. We are so sorry for your loss. You and Paulie were the most kind, generous, and caring neighbors that we have ever known. I very clearly and fondly remember the first time I met Paulie in Orlando – cleaning our new house he came right up, rang the bell, and introduced himself with his business card. From that point on, I enjoyed our chats and visits. Paul told the greatest stories and shared so much. I often wondered what it would have been like to know you both in New York. The boys were lucky to spend time with him and Kayden still talks about how he gave him a coffee and how they watched cartoons together. Donna-may you find comfort in your special memories with Paul. May God Bless you and give you the strength to get through these difficult days. Don’t give up and know that we are just a text, phone call, or plane ride away.
Love, Bob, Kim, Brendan & Kayden Raciak
Paulie had a radiatent personality. He was always kind to me and he would never cuss in front of me. He was also extremely nice and would help anyone. Donna he loved you very much and he’s holding your hand through your grief. You are strong and you will make it through this.
Donna, I am so sorry for your loss. Paulie was a decent, kind and loyal person to have in your corner. I have known Paulie and Donna for nearly two decades. Paulie was loud, proud and definitely opinionated. I described Paulie one time as a hard outer shell with a soft center on the inside, like a piece of candy. Donna loves that analogy. Once you got to know him he was a gentle soul. He was always very hospitable to me and my family. There is nothing Paulie would not do for his friends. Paulie you will be missed. Until we meet again.
Paul will always be in my heart the love he had for his wife Donna will last an eternity.he always gave me good advice whether I liked it or not. Paul will always be a stand up guy .may God bless your soul. Donna I will be here if you need to talk love always jay
My Friend Paulie (Dude) was one of Kind. He was a little Crazy, but he wouldn’t hesitate to give you the shirt off his back. If you really knew him he was a Big Teddy Bear . From the beginning, he always made me feel like I was safe around him. And his Wonderful Wife was kind to me too. I’m going to miss him terribly. But he will always be in my prayers and my heart. .
Dear Donna & Matthew, We did not know Paulie very long, but he always put a smile on our faces and he touched our hearts. He will be deeply missed. Our deepest condolences to you and your family.
Donna,
I’m sorry it took so long to leave a comment on Pauly’s obituary page.
You and Pauly were the first friends we ever met in our neighborhood. We were just visiting our empty house before we moved in from upstate NY. And then we found out you guys were from NYC and we immediately felt like we were home. That’s the way Pauly was for the entire time I knew him, always full of friendly advice, always willing to help out a friend. When Mary had her heart issue in 2015 you guys were one of the first to stop by with a get well card and showed concern and compassion.
I was aware how tortured Pauly was the last year of his life when his poor health kept him grounded from doing the activities he loved to do.
I could go on and on. But I mainly wanted to let you know that Pauly will be and is missed. I’m so sorry for your loss and pray for you all the time. Please know if you ever decide to return to Eagles Landing you can always count on May and me as friends!
Ed Shelton
Donna,
What can we say . Dianne and I are so sorry about my good friend “Pauly Walnuts” I loved that guy .
A very kind yes stubborn but nicest man you could ever meet . Eagles Landing Will not be the same without Pauly. I will miss our talks . Donna you were the apple Of his eye and the dogs Bella and Blue. Rest In Peace my friend . Save me some stories! Till we meet again. Bob
2/6/21 To Donna, I got your text today re the live jazz mass coming up on 2/7. Needless to say we were shocked at the news re Paul. We did not know. We googled his name & found the obituary. We are truly sorry to hear this. Our prayers & thoughts are with you during this very sad time. I remember your kindness to me in June 2020 when John was in the hospital having an emergency triple heart bypass. Please let me know I can help in any way. Thank you for the info on the mass for Paul. Stay strong❤️ Nancy & John Rasnic, Eagles Landing