Paul H. Corwin, 78, of Sandwich, a former Edgartown resident, died on March 6 at Falmouth Hospital. .

Paul worked as a young man on a yacht and navigated the inland waterway at the age of 19. After high school, where he met his wife Beverly, he went to radio technical school, was in the air force for four years during the Korean war and was stationed in Greenland. Following the Air force, he lived in Boston with Beverly and his first 3 children while he worked at Honeywell as a supervisor. Soon after the birth of his third child they moved to Edgartown, where he worked on the police department and the airport before starting his own painting business.

Later on, when he and Beverly moved to Bradenton Fla., he volunteered weekly at Blake Hospital. Paul had a gift for cheering people up and had a great sense of humor, which he put to use at the hospital. He dressed as a clown named Doc Dude and visited stroke and heart attack patients and enjoyed nothing more than cheering them up and sharing his own personal experiences as a stroke and heart attack victim.

Paul loved boats and realized a life-long dream of bringing his sailboat up the inland waterway from Duneden, Fla. across the Okeechobee and up to the Chesapeake Bay with his wife and youngest child, Nancy.

He enjoyed his hobby of making beautiful stained glass windows for his children and familiy. He also loved gardening, and he and Beverly had an 80’x1 00’ vegetable garden every summer for many years.

He leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Beverly Goodwin Corwin of Sandwich. He also leaves five children: Paul D Corwin, Stephen Corwin,Joyce Corwin, Jennifer Corwin VanGelder and Nancy Corwin Dillon. He had three granddaughters — Samantha VanGelder Joanna Vangelder and Anna Dillon—and five grandsons — Christopher Corwin, Cameron Corwin, Travis Corwin, Joshua Corwin and Richard Corwin. He also leaves two brothers, Alber Corwin and Mark Corwin, and many nieces and nephews.

A short memorial and get together will be held Sunday, March 18, from 12-2 p.m. at Shawme Heights, 5 Leveredge Lane, Sandwich.

Paul loved children and they loved him and his wonderful, easy sense of humor.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Children’s Cove Child Advocacy Center, P.O. Box 427, Barnstable MA 02630.