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Paul Skalla
lived in Milltown, N.J. all his life, except for the two years he shared an apartment with his sister, Lisa.
He
grew up in the Milltown school system and played baseball in the "T-Ball", "Midget", "Minor"
and "Major" Little League teams in town. As an adult, he later played in the Men's Softball League for several seasons.
His aptitude for art started at age three, by five he was drawing cartoon characters with depth and detail.
During
gatherings with friends he would assign nicknames to some and draw caricatures relating to the person and the nickname.
His sports career had many facets. In his youth, he played on "T-Ball" and all other Little League baseball
teams, finishing in the Majors where he played Catcher and Outfield on the Fire Department's Team.
He played Outfield
for Joyce Kilmer Middle School's Baseball Team while attending that school.
About this time he started working
out at Ron Capodano's "Muscle Mill" Gym on North Main Street Milltown, where he continued to train until his death.
His first year at Bishop Ahr he played center on the JV basketball team.
His second year he played
both JV baseball in the position of left field and JV football, defensive end.
Junior and senior year he played
varsity baseball(#5) as designated hitter and left field also varsity football(#55), his favorite sport, as defensive end
and special team. In the early weeks of his senior year he was the team's high scoring player when he returned two fumbles
for touchdowns. Each return was over 30 yards each!
He was asked to, and did, join the All Middlesex County Team
for the Innaugural "Snapple Bowl" against the Union County team, which Middlesex won. He played defensive end (#50)for
the team.
During that year he served as Assistant coach for the "St. Bart's Buffalos", a Pop Warner football
team in East Brunswick, NJ. He also attendend the "Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Illustration" in Dover, NJ.
This school was primarily a comic book art school.
He attended Montclair State University and graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art. He was also attending graduate courses there at the time of his death. Paul planned to
ultimately teach art and coach football at a high school. He reenrolled at Montclair State University to earn his teaching
credentials during this time.
Paul was employed for three years at "Coordinated Graphics", a print shop,
in Edison, N.J. as Supervisor of the night shift where computer files of daily tradings were received from Wall Street firms,
set up, put into paper print then returned to the respective firms for distribution to individual employees.
Paul
started his own illustration business named "Illustration by Paul Skalla" through the internet, but Paul would try
work in any area that sounded interesting. Not one to sit around, he started a landscaping service named "B'n P Land
Renovations" and was also active in this job at the time of his death.
If Paul had an idea to do something
he found a way to achieve his goal. The day after the World Trade center attack on September 11, 2001, he and a close friend
decided they would offer their assistance at "Ground Zero". Paul went to the site dressed in fireman's helmet, coat
and other gear along with his friend. HIS FRIEND WAS A REAL FIREMAN...PAUL WAS NOT! But Paul saw an obstacle, found a way
to overcome it and achieved the goal he set for himself.
In summary; Paul loved his art, his friends (if he liked
you, he thought of you as his brother or sister), The N.Y. Yankee's, Miami Dolphins, his family, Milltown, N.J. and most of
all LIFE!
He would, AND DID, give EVERYTHING he had when he knew one of his friends were in need.
Unfortunately,
on Easter morning of 2003 his happy life was cut short in a motor vehicle accident.
Paul K. Skalla was a loving
son, brother and FIERCELY loyal friend, who's love, advice and companionship is sorely missed.
This fund is the
continuation of his attempt to fulfill his goal of teaching art and being involved in Milltown sports.
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