NORWICH – Paul J. Sternberg, 74, of Norwich, died on Thursday, May 1, 2008 at the New York State Veterans’ Home in Oxford.
He was born on July 14, 1933 in Nyack, to Paul and Helen Butler Sternberg.
Most of his childhood was spent in Johnstown. When he reached high school age, Paul enrolled at the Oakwood School in Poughkeepsie, his mother’s alma mater, from which he graduated in 1950. He then graduated from Harvard College with the Class of 1954, where he majored in economics and was an active member of the Hasty Pudding Club and the Phoenix, SK Club.
On Sept. 3, 1955, Paul was married to Barbara Patricia Boyle at Trinity Episcopal Church in Seneca Falls. They moved to New York City, where he was attending Columbia Law School.
Paul received his L.L.B. in 1957 adjoined the firm of Choate, Ronalds, Huntington and Hollister in New York, as an associate. Subsequently, he was Managing Counsel of the Singer Company in New York; Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Bandag, Inc., Muscatine, Iowa; and Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Raymond Corporation in Greene. At the time of his death, he was Of Counsel to the Binghamton law firm of Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP. He also served as a member of the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps as a reservist and was called to active duty at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. during the Berlin Crisis (1961-62). He was honorably discharged as a Captain.
Paul and his family lived in New York City; Southern Pines, N.C.; Rye; Bettendorf, Iowa; and Norwich. He was actively involved with civic, charitable, religious and social groups in each community. He was a member of many national, state and local bar associations, as well as an advocate for legal aid. In addition, he served on several corporate boards. Paul was particularly satisfied with his work as pro bono counsel to Citizens for Sound Planning, a group which played a major role in convincing Governor Nelson Rockefeller to abandon plans for a bridge from Rye to Oyster Bay, the first time Robert Moses was denied the right to build one of his projects. At the time of his death, Paul was a member of the Harvard Club of New York City, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Chenango County Bar Association, the Broome County Bar Association, the Cooperstown Country Club, the Manursing Island Club, Rye, and the Norwich Rotary Club.
Paul is survived by his wife of 52 years, Pat; his daughters, Lucinda Sternberg Thomas of Andover, Mass., and Alicia Sternberg Llanos of Rye; his sons-in-law, Robert R. Thomas and Ricardo E. Llanos; and his grandchildren, Victoria Amanda Llanos and Nicholas Tobin Llanos. He was predeceased by his daughter Amanda Butler Sternberg.
Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 12 at the United Church of Christ First Congregational. Rev. Joseph Connolly, pastor and teacher, will officiate. There will be no calling hours.
Donations in Paul’s memory to the Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County, 21 Hayes Street, Norwich, NY 13815, or to the Amanda Butler Sternberg Scholarship Fund, c/o Development Office at either Rye Country Day School, Cedar St., Rye, NY 10580, or Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA, 02481-8203 would be greatly appreciated.
Local arrangements are under the direction of the Wilson Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting the funeral Home website at: http://wilsonfh.com.