Paul William Culotta died October 31, 2021. Born on December 27, 1925 in Newport News to Paul and Evalyn Jones Culotta, he was a resident of Hampton since 1951. He served in the U.S. Navy as a Mineman in the South Pacific and Australia during World War II. A graduate of St. Vincent High School (now Peninsula Catholic), the Shipyard Apprentice School, and the Kansas City School of Watchmaking, he also attended Thomas Nelson Community College, Christopher Newport College, and Old Dominion University. He was a Master Watchmaker.

Employed by NACA as an aerospace technologist, he retired in 1986, after which he was employed as a contractor/consultant at NASA, and later by Lockheed as a Principal Engineer, until 1996.

He was a member of the Peninsula Watchmakers and Jewelers Guild, the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, the Horological Association of Virginia, the American Watchmakers Institute, the Apprentice Alumni Association, the Engineers Club of the Virginia Peninsula, the Association of Minemen, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Catholic War Veterans, Knights of Columbus, and the Lifelong Learning Society of Christopher Newport University. For many years he volunteered at the Sentara Careplex Hospital Information Desk. He was a member of Saint Rose of Lima and the Korean Martyrs Catholic Church.

He was preceded in death by his son, Stephen Culotta, his parents, and his sister, Evalyn Marino. Survivors include his wife, Mary Howard Culotta; two children, Terry Ennis (Jim), of Hampton and Christopher P. Culotta (Patty), of Troy, Virginia; as well as a grandson, Christopher Ennis (Virginia), and a step grandson, Donald Ennis.

A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at St. Rose of Lima and the Korean Martyrs Catholic Church with visitation there one hour before the service. Inurnment will be private. In accordance with CDC recommendations, the family asks that masks be worn.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Peninsula Catholic High School, 600 Harpersville Rd., Newport News, Virginia, or to a charity of your choice.

Arrangements by R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home.