Family was top priority for real estate developer
MALIBU, Calif. — Paul Caggiano, 78, was born on July 8, 1947 in Boston. He was the second son to Arthur and Dorothy (Thornton) Caggiano. He passed away on Sept. 25, 2025 in Thousand Oaks, California, surrounded by family.
Born and raised on the streets of East Boston, Paul was a proud Malden Catholic graduate who went on to earn both his bachelor’s and MBA from Northeastern. Tenacious and charismatic, he was a man who could hold a room.
Paul was a recruiter, developer and small business owner. His entrepreneurial spirit and love of food led him to open a fried seafood shop and a candy store in the 1980s and 1990s. Neither venture lasted, but what chutzpah to try. For the past 40 years, he devoted himself to real estate development, carving new streets and building striking homes across Eastern Massachusetts and Nantucket.
He met the love of his life Joan while working at Deloitte. Together, they shared over 38 years of adventure and fun, most recently settling into their dream location overlooking the Pacific in Malibu, California.
Despite his constant motion, all roads led back to Lynnfield. He built one of the first homes on Wildewood Drive, where his three kids grew up. Paul came back to the town for a number of years after all three kids had returned to start their own families. In the 1990s, he was a fixture on the sidelines, never missing a competition or recital for Jamie, a snap of Jason’s football games and cheering on Courtney’s field hockey team.
Paul flew planes, rode Harleys, surfed and loved Corvettes. He was a staple at “Cars and Coffee” and was always on the move, living at more addresses than most would consider possible, energized by the next big thing. He loved being by water and spent many happy nights on stools in the North End, Nantucket Harbor and the shores of Malibu, swapping stories and laughs with whoever sat down beside him.
Of all he cherished, nothing topped his children Jamie, Jason and Courtney. He would drive the Eastern Seaboard to get them where they needed to be, make time to take them to school even when he lived 90 minutes away and later became a part-time roommate to his firstborn Jamie’s family while splitting time between coasts turning ordinary weeknights into memories with homemade pizzas and excuses for Kowloon.
Paul is survived by his wife Joan Caggiano of Malibu, California; and his three children: Jamie Curley and her husband, Tim, of Andover; Jason Caggiano and his wife, Carly, of Lynnfield; and Courtney Nunley and her husband, Nathan, of Lynnfield. Five grandchildren also survive Paul: Annabelle, Catherine, Bryce, Sam and Harper; his siblings, nieces and nephews and many friends and peers.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 23, 2025 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 17 Grove St., Lynnfield. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the ALS Association in Paul’s honor and treat yourself to a donut or a great slice of pizza.