Paul Chester Jablonski passed away on May 10, 2020 at the age of 67. And for the full 67 years Paul lived a tremendous life – one about which his family beams with pride and admiration.

He was an adoring husband, doting father, devoted grandfather ("Baba"), loving son, caring brother, fun-loving uncle, great cousin and the best of comrades. He cherished his time with family and friends, and had a passion for reading, camping, hiking, photography, history, riding his Harley and his newest hobby – fly-fishing.

Paul was also an incredible leader and mentor with an amazing 40+ year career in transit. With all his experience in the industry, Paul made everlasting friendships every step of the way. He always looked forward to opportunities to see and stay connected to these longtime friends whom he cherished so deeply.

Starting from the beginning, Paul grew up in Hatfield, MA. Born January 11, 1953 he was the first of Chet and Helen Jablonski's two children, followed by his sister, Cyndi. Paul had the childhood you would dream about – jetting off to find the next big catch in the local stream, or somehow convincing all his friends to come on down and paint his parents' grand old white house in exchange for some kielbasa and pizza. He also served as an altar boy at Holy Trinity Church for many years. He was strong in his faith and a devout member of the Catholic Church in his close-knit community.

From an early age, Paul set his goals and went after them with a force, a trait he would exhibit for the rest of his life. Showing exceptional academic aptitude, he was offered a high school scholarship at Deerfield Academy, a prestigious private school in Deerfield, MA. Always a whiz in science, history, writing – a poet for certain – and math, he could do calculations in his head, on the fly, that would make your jaw drop.

Paul later went on to study Zoology at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where he graduated in 1975. Originally striving to be a marine biologist, it was Paul's college job driving buses at UMass that kick-started his incredible career in the transit industry. During his senior year, Paul met the love of his life, Debbie – his wife of nearly 43 years. The two were married August 13, 1977 at St. Malachy Parish in Burlington, MA.

Paul was no stranger to taking on a challenge or adventure. After settling in Albany, NY, Paul and Debbie soon set out to live in Saudi Arabia for almost five years, during which Paul served as the General Manager of the Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company in Jeddah. His time in the Middle East allowed them to travel all ends of the globe. During their time abroad they welcomed two children delivered back in Boston, MA. Their first child, Jeff, was born in 1982, and then their second, Jenny, was born in 1984. At that time, they decided to stay in the States for good.

Soon after, the family settled down in Bedford, NH where they would enjoy seven blissful years in New England. Paul worked for ATE and he served as General Manager of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority in Haverhill, MA, also while owning his own travel agency, Ambassador World Travel. During this time his second son, Daniel, was born in 1986, and then their fourth and final child, Kelly, in 1989. A doting father and husband, Paul relished his time in Bedford. You would find him and the family boating every summer on Lake Winnipesaukee and skiing each winter in the local mountains. Weekends and holidays were spent with their extended family barbequing in the backyard. Family was never in short supply, and he loved every minute of it.

In 1993, Paul was offered an exceptional opportunity to manage the transportation system in Cincinnati, OH. He and his family set out for the Midwest. Here he would serve nearly 11 years as the Chief Executive Officer of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. Over the years, weekends were filled with soccer, baseball and lacrosse games. An incredible father, Paul was always supportive of his kids' endeavors, never missing a game – home or away – and always their #1 fan.

With the kids nearly grown, another incredible opportunity arose for Paul in 2004 when he joined the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) as Chief Executive Officer. Paul and Debbie were eager for some time in the California sun. With over 16 years at MTS, Paul's accomplishments were great. This includes the reorganization and consolidation of the bus and trolley divisions; four consecutive perfect scores from the Federal Transit Administration's Triennial Review; leading the redesign of the entire bus network; launching a new network of Rapid bus service; collaborating with San Diego State University to extend service and establish a new trolley station; progressing the agency's greener fleet goals by transitioning its bus fleet to mostly compressed natural gas and implementing a zero-emission bus pilot program, among many other accomplishments.

Paul's efforts helped earn MTS the Outstanding Public Transit System of the Year award in 2009 from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and Paul was recognized by APTA as the Outstanding Transportation Manager of the Year in 2014.

Paul was deeply involved in APTA, serving as an at large director on the APTA Board of Directors, vice chair for the Public Transportation CEO Coordinating Council Leadership and was a committee member on an additional 14 committees.

Amid all his success in San Diego, Paul still found time to create everlasting memories with his family: annual fly-fishing trips on the Androscoggin River (NH); tea parties, dress up and Disneyland with his precious granddaughters; lobster and steamers at his Mom's in Scituate (MA); backpacking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu; camping trips in Borrego Springs and Idyllwild (CA); daily walks around Lake Poway (CA), a tour of Italy and so much more.

Paul will be remembered for his contagious humor and laugh, his determined spirit, his zest for anything he set his mind to, his cooking and quest for new recipes, his unwavering leadership, and above all his never-ending love for his family and friends. We raise our glass of the finest bourbon and toast him on a life so well-lived.

Paul is survived by his wife, Debbie, and their four children: Jeff and his wife, Dominique, and their daughters, Peyton and Riley, of North Andover, MA; Jenny and her husband, Eric, and their expectant son, of Bronxville, NY; Daniel of Arlington, VA; and Kelly of Boston, MA. He is also survived by his mother, Helen, of Scituate, MA; his sister, Cyndi, and her spouse, Anne, of Reading, MA; as well as his aunts, brother-in-law, sisters-in laws, nieces and many close friends.

A memorial service will be held in the coming months. Please check back often for an update. Although we cannot gather at this time, friends and family may still offer their support by sharing a special memory or message.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Paul's memory can be made to the National Park Foundation via his memorial page at http://give.nationalparks.org/goto/paul-jablonski .

Additionally, it is with great pride we learned the American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF), a charitable affiliate of APTA, has established the Paul Jablonski Scholarship to provide opportunities to deserving students and transit professionals. To support their mission, please donate at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/american-public-transit-foundation/paul-jablonski-scholarship .

Remembrance:

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) prepared the following as they honor Paul's 40+ years in the industry and all his achievements over the course of this 16 years as MTS CEO: https://www.sdmts.com/about-mts-organization-charts/mts-remembers-paul-jablonski .

Additionally, to pay tribute to Paul's life and celebrate his legacy, MTS hosted a 40-bus procession through downtown San Diego on May 15, 2020. The procession stopped for a three-horned salute from the trolleys as employees and guests lined the sidewalks in support. MTS has captured videos of the experience at https://www.facebook.com/sdmts/ .