Obituary: Paul Mortell

Paul Mortell, 78, of Longboat Key, died Dec. 31.

Born April 7, 1931, in Brooklyn, N.Y., he graduated from The Gunnery, in Washington, Conn. in 1949, and Trinity College, in Hartford, Conn. in 1953. After college, Mr. Mortell served in the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant. He worked for Arrow/Hart Cooper Industries for more than 30 years.

Mr. Mortell sat on the board of directors at the Longboat Key Center for the Arts, a Division of Ringling College of Art and Design, where he was dedicated to bringing sponsors and artists for the “Jazz at the Center” series. He was a longtime New York Giants fan, but his passion was tennis. He was a past president of the Longboat Key Tennis Association.

Mr. Mortell was preceded in death by his first wife, Peg Mortell, and son, Porter Mortell. He is survived by his wife, Carole Strong Mortell, of Longboat Key; son, Bennett Mortell, of Unity, N.H.; daughter, Maggie Mortell Griesing, of Brimfield, Mass.; brother, Robert Mortell, of St. Petersburg; and two grandchildren.

A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, at Toale Brothers Funeral Home, 40 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. A burial will follow this summer at the family plot in Mountain Grove Cemetery, in Bridgeport, Conn. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Peg and Paul Mortell Scholarship Fund, c/o Fairfield County Community Foundation, 383 Main Ave., Norwalk, Conn., 06851-1543.