Paul Catania Sr. was 83
Paul Catania Sr. was 83
Paul Catania Sr. loved the produce industry.
After returning from World War II in 1945, where he was a seaman in the Canadian Navy for two years, Mr. Catania went to work for his father, Michael's, produce brokerage, M.L. Catania, which was founded in 1929.
He went on to manage its subsidiary, Superior Packing Co. in Bradford, ON, for 13 years. In 1963, he purchased M.L. Catania after his father's retirement and actively served as its president into the early 1990s. Along the way, he built the firm into what it is today, his son Paul Catania Jr. said.
Mr. Catania died July 28 at age 83 at the Humber River Regional Hospital in Weston, ON, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Catania Jr. told The Produce News that his father, whom he described as "an honorable gentleman," was "very proud" of being a member of the board of the Canadian Fruit Wholesalers' Association, the precursor to today's Canadian Produce Marketing Association. He said that the culmination of his career was serving as president of the CFWA, the position now known as chairman of the CPMA, in 1988.
Dan Dempster, president of the CPMA, told The Produce News that Mr. Catania had "served on just about every committee that the organization had and continued as a board member into the mid-1990s. He was bestowed the CPMA's Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual convention in Toronto in 1995.
"I had the pleasure of traveling with Paul and his wife, and he was really a true gentleman," Mr. Dempster said. "He loved the industry and the people in it and was devoted to the association. He was a great guy."
Mr. Catania Jr. said that his father loved to travel and had been all over the world, traveling through Europe, South America, New Zealand and Morocco. He traveled with him through Mexico and visited his house in Pompano Beach, FL.
"He had a great sense of humor and was a family man," he said, noting that one of his hobbies was tracing the Catania family's roots back to Italy. In addition to his son, Mr. Catania leaves behind his wife of 58 years, June.
In lieu of flowers, the family requested that memorial donations be made to the Christian Children's Fund of Canada, Bill Proctor Project, 1200 Denison St., Markham, ON L3R 9Z9.
After returning from World War II in 1945, where he was a seaman in the Canadian Navy for two years, Mr. Catania went to work for his father, Michael's, produce brokerage, M.L. Catania, which was founded in 1929.
He went on to manage its subsidiary, Superior Packing Co. in Bradford, ON, for 13 years. In 1963, he purchased M.L. Catania after his father's retirement and actively served as its president into the early 1990s. Along the way, he built the firm into what it is today, his son Paul Catania Jr. said.
Mr. Catania died July 28 at age 83 at the Humber River Regional Hospital in Weston, ON, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Catania Jr. told The Produce News that his father, whom he described as "an honorable gentleman," was "very proud" of being a member of the board of the Canadian Fruit Wholesalers' Association, the precursor to today's Canadian Produce Marketing Association. He said that the culmination of his career was serving as president of the CFWA, the position now known as chairman of the CPMA, in 1988.
Dan Dempster, president of the CPMA, told The Produce News that Mr. Catania had "served on just about every committee that the organization had and continued as a board member into the mid-1990s. He was bestowed the CPMA's Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual convention in Toronto in 1995.
"I had the pleasure of traveling with Paul and his wife, and he was really a true gentleman," Mr. Dempster said. "He loved the industry and the people in it and was devoted to the association. He was a great guy."
Mr. Catania Jr. said that his father loved to travel and had been all over the world, traveling through Europe, South America, New Zealand and Morocco. He traveled with him through Mexico and visited his house in Pompano Beach, FL.
"He had a great sense of humor and was a family man," he said, noting that one of his hobbies was tracing the Catania family's roots back to Italy. In addition to his son, Mr. Catania leaves behind his wife of 58 years, June.
In lieu of flowers, the family requested that memorial donations be made to the Christian Children's Fund of Canada, Bill Proctor Project, 1200 Denison St., Markham, ON L3R 9Z9.
