Paul Francis Morettoni

Paul Francis Morettoni, 69, passed away on Monday, September 14, 2026 from complications from esophageal cancer. 

Born on July 10, 1957, in Poughkeepsie, New York, Paul grew up in Wappingers Falls and spent nearly his entire life in the Hudson Valley. Growing up, he learned self-reliance early, often taking responsibility for himself and his home while helping care for his younger brother and sister. His uncle Alexander became an important father figure and role model, leaving a lasting influence on the man Paul would become.

As a young man, Paul briefly lived in Buffalo, where he worked as the superintendent of an apartment building that was home to members of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. On November 12, 1980, he began his career as a New York State correction officer. He served for more than 38 years at Beacon and Taconic correctional facilities before retiring on July 10, 2019-his 62nd birthday.

Paul also devoted 20 years to serving his community as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, first with the Hughsonville Fire Department and later with Hillside Lake Fire Company #3 in East Fishkill.

Paul was married to Carolyn Morettoni for 25 years, and together they raised their sons, Daniel and Michael. Later, he built a life with his longtime partner, Donna Guthartz. After living together in Cortlandt Manor, Paul and Donna settled in Millbrook, where they renovated a property they named "Justamere Farm." There, they made a home alongside chickens, six goats, and their faithful German shepherd, Shira.

Paul was a builder in every sense. His hands told the story: worn, scarred, and a little crooked from decades of making and repairing things. He was nearly always in the middle of a project. A skilled carpenter, he built everything from furniture, kitchens, and bathrooms to barns and hand-carved Santa figurines.

He had no patience for shortcuts. To Paul, there was his way and there was the wrong way, and he rarely pretended otherwise. That same conviction shaped how he approached life and the people he loved: firmly, with high expectations, and with a deeply held belief in personal responsibility. He never lost his taste for simple pleasures, including a nightly Canadian Club, long after he could afford better.

A lifelong gearhead, Paul loved tinkering with engines and machines and took meticulous care of them: from tractors and dirt bikes to his beloved Harley-Davidson Road King.

He was also an exceptional cook who took particular joy in preparing elaborate meals for others-on family vacations, at the firehouse, and around the table during the holidays. Proud of his Italian heritage, Paul expressed much of that pride through food. His sons owe their lifelong love of prosciutto to his guiding hand.

Paul loved the outdoors and spent many years skiing and fishing throughout the Catskills and Adirondacks. He passed his appreciation for cooking, craftsmanship, machines, and the outdoors down to Daniel and Michael.

Paul was the son of the late Fanuel and Phyllis (Wood) Morettoni. He was also predeceased by his sister, Margaret, and his brother, Peter. Paul and Margaret shared an especially close bond that endured even after she traded snow boots for cowboy boots and settled in San Antonio, Texas.

He is survived by his sons, Daniel and Michael; Daniel's fiancée, Natalia Robinson; Michael's wife, Chelsea, and Paul's first grandchild, expected in December; his longtime partner, Donna Guthartz, and her son, Gabriel; and his niece and nephew, Lindsay Fuller and Alex Fuller.

A visitation will be held on Friday, September 25, from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. at McHoul Funeral Home in Hopewell Junction, New York. The visitation will conclude with a brief ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Paul's memory to the American Cancer Society or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a cause he supported for many years.