Walter Paul, at 64; teacher aided students in his illness

WALTER PAUL

Chelsea High School technology teacher Walter Paul got the news in his classroom last fall. His doctor called to say that the pain Mr. Paul thought was a muscle spasm from long bike rides was late-stage lung cancer.

Mr. Paul, a newlywed who had quit smoking years ago and had biked to work daily from Cambridge, spent his last months in a hospital bed helping his students with their exams and searching for his own replacement.

"He was in real pain," said his wife, Marusha Alvarez, another teacher at Chelsea High. "He was interviewing people and showing them the computer system. He was so passionate about these kids."

Mr. Paul, a Chelsea teacher since 1994, died March 7 at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was 64.

A native of the Bronx, Mr. Paul was diagnosed with cancer weeks after his third fund-raising ride in the American Lung Association's 160-mile Autumn Escape Bike Trek on the Cape.

"Walter was a well-read, multi-talented man, a teacher, carpenter and builder, musician, computer maven, as well as a devoted father and husband," said his cycling buddy Steve Schnapp of Cambridge.

Schnapp said Mr. Paul took up cycling to stay in shape and to help kick cigarettes. Schnapp is recruiting cyclists to ride this year in the Sept. 12-14 race from Plymouth to Provincetown in Mr. Paul's memory.

Mr. Paul was the son of Herman and Sophie Paul. His mother is 97 and lives in Cambridge.

Growing up in New York, Mr. Paul attended the High School of Music and Art and City College. He earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan and later studied at Berklee College of Music.

"He was the kind of man who could pick up anything and excel," said his sister, Sheli Wortis of Cambridge. "He was always interested in youth and was a leader among his friends."

Mr. Paul, who played guitar, piano, and saxophone, loved music, especially the work of folk singer Artie Traum, a fellow Bronx native. Traum learned of Mr. Paul's battle with cancer, and the two corresponded, according to Mr. Paul's family.

Mr. Paul warned his students not to smoke and would walk up to smokers on the street and urge them to kick the habit.

"He'd say to them: 'I know this sounds odd to you, but quit smoking. I smoked and I want my life back and I cannot get it back,' " his wife said.

Before teaching at Chelsea, Mr. Paul taught carpentry for Beverly High School's vocational training program. He had his own cabinet-making business, Wild Cherry Woodworking in Somerville.

In 1998, he began dating Marusha, who had recently emigrated from Cuba. She said she was attracted to his generous spirit.

"Walter was a mensch," she said. "He was the most reliable man I have ever known. In Cuba, men don't do dishes. He did dishes. When I met Walter, I said somebody could give me millions and I wouldn't exchange you for anything."

They enjoyed long road trips, passing the time by singing along with music by Artie Traum or Carole King, she said.

Mr. Paul helped his wife bring her brother and elderly parents from Cuba to live in the United States. On his laptop, Mr. Paul's screensaver was an image of him and his 80-year-old father-in-law, Rolando Alvarez, holding their big catch from a fishing trip.

The couple kept their relationship a secret from their students as long as they could, his wife said.

But sometimes Mr. Paul could not help himself. "When no one was around, he was throwing paper balls so I would pay attention to him," Marusha said.

When students learned of the romance, they teased Ms. Alvarez about dating a man who rode a bicycle. "They said: 'Teacher, he doesn't have a car. You can do better than that,' " she said.

Mr. Paul asked Marusha to marry him several times over the years. He asked again after his diagnosis, and they married on Nov. 10.

Soon after the wedding, Mr. Paul began aggressive cancer treatments. He wrote about his battle in a blog for his students.

"Chemotherapy has been tough, but I need to do it, so why question it?" he wrote.

At Chelsea High, Mr. Paul helped implement computer training programs that offered students the opportunity to earn professional certification from Cisco Networking.

In his last blog entry on Feb. 8, Mr. Paul wished his students good luck on the program and wrote about his cancer treatment.

"It has been a major struggle, but we are sticking with it," he said. "My ability to walk without a cane is limited. This is why I have not visited you or anyone at CHS, but I do remember you and wish you my best."

In addition to his wife, mother, and sister, Mr. Paul leaves a daughter, Maxine Olff Paul, and a stepdaughter, Karla Medina of Cambridge.

A memorial service at Chelsea High School is planned for March 26.