Paul Ignatius Byrne, Jr., of Jupiter, FL, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away on September 7, 2026 at the age of 83. He previously resided in Old Tappan, NJ and Manasquan, NJ.
Raised in Maplewood, NJ, he attended St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark where he performed in many musical productions and was named to the NJ All-State Chorus. He remained a loyal supporter of The Prep where he served as a Class Ambassador for some 50 years. Active in scouting, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Paul went on to attend Seton Hall University, receiving his B.A. in History and his MBA from the Stillman School of Business. He was a member of Phi Kappa Theta. While an undergraduate, he enrolled in the university’s ROTC program and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army assigned to Military Intelligence and spent 3 years at the Army Security Agency headquarters in Arlington, VA. He retired at the rank of Captain.
Following his military service, Paul began his 35-year professional career at IBM in the New York City Insurance branch office working in large systems. He was promoted to Branch Manager and spent two years in Buffalo, NY. Following that assignment, he was assigned to IBM’s Latin America Division where he spent more than 20 years growing IBM’s presence in Central and South America. He worked in every country on the continent in large systems and mentored countless numbers of IBMers along the way. In 2000, as part of IBM World Trade, he was named Director of Operations for the Americas Group, covering a territory extending from Canada to Argentina.
Aside from his frequent international travels, he was a lector for years both at Our Lady of Sorrows RC Church in South Orange, NJ and at St. Pius X in Old Tappan, NJ. He and his family lived in Old Tappan, NJ for some 20 years with homes in Manasquan, NJ and Jupiter, FL. He was also a fiercely loyal supporter of Seton Hall Pirate Blue Basketball and was a season ticket holder for more than 30 years following the team from Walsh Gymnasium to Brendan Byrne Arena to Prudential Center in Newark.
Everyone who knew him knew Paul was a gentle giant whose warmth and loving spirit enveloped everyone he met. The Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth referred to him for years as “Saint Paul.” He was truly one of those rare people whose size could never overshadow his gentleness. He was warm, loving, and endlessly kind, with a comforting presence that made you want to be near him.
Paul is survived by his wife of 60 years, Emma; his children, Courtney Byrne Leonard and her husband, Sean, of Rumson, NJ and PJ and his wife, Jaime of Los Angeles; his grandchildren, Quinn and Carolyn Trent as well as Madison, Libby, and Bear Paul Byrne. He is also survived by his brother, James, sister-in-law, Angela, and niece, Kelly Byrne Fallone. Paul was preceded in death by his father, Paul I. Byrne Sr. and his mother, Anne Daley Byrne.
Visitation will be held at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Rd, Fair Haven on Tuesday, September 15th from 10-11 am. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 am. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, 145 Mt Airy Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07924. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Paul's memory to his alma mater, St. Benedict's Prep, by visiting www.sbp.org/inmemory. To make a gift by check, please write his name in the memo line and mail to the Advancement Office's attention at St. Benedict's Prep, 520 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102.
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