Paul S. Podolak, 84, of Elkton, MD, passed away July 3, 2015 after a brief illness.

Born in Wilmington, DE on March 8, 1931, Paul was the son of the late Stephen and Anna Shatynski Podolak. He graduated in 1948 from Wilmington High School and during that time played football, basketball and baseball. Following graduation, he worked for Wilmington Trust and Electric Hose and Rubber Co. He joined the Air Force in 1950 and was stationed at Fort Dix and Stewart Air Base in Newburgh, NY. During this time he met his future wife, Marguerite, in Wildwood NJ. They were married in 1952 and settled in Wilmington and he started working for Kemper Insurance. In 1960, Paul enrolled in the University of Baltimore Law School and they moved to Baltimore. In 1963, he graduated and passed the Maryland Bar in November of that year and they decided to stay in Maryland. In December of 1963, while doing insurance work with Kemper for the Pan Am flight 214 crash in Elkton, he met Charles Huester who invited him to Elkton to practice law, saying “If you want to move, I have a desk for you.” On May 1, 1964, they took him up on his offer and moved to Elkton to practice law. Two weeks after moving to Elkton, Paul was accepted into the Secret Service. He declined their offer as they were just getting settled. In 1965, he began his work as Assistant State’s Attorney and remained in that position until 1980, when he became State’s Attorney and served in that capacity until 1982. He then resumed private practice until retiring in 1997.

Always athletic, Paul started skiing in 1980 and in 1993 he took up golf. He was a member of Chantilly Manor Country Club in Rising Sun. He also enjoyed playing at the member guest tournaments at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club with his lifelong best friend, Walter Hatz, who preceded him in death. We are sure that they are playing golf in heaven, where every shot is a birdie. He also played in numerous Cecil County Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournaments. Paul was a member of the Republican Committee and served as Chairman of the Board for Bayside Community Network from 1995 to present.

Surviving are his son, Stephen Podolak of Wilmington; his daughter Christina Ann Podolak of Elkton; a paternal cousin, Joan McConchie and her family of Arizona; and numerous maternal cousins; two nieces, Pamela Neel and her family of Sheridan, WY and Lisa Blankenship and her family of Newark. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marguerite who passed away in 2013, and his sister, Elizabeth “Betty” White who also died in 2013.

Services and burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bayside Community Network and mailed to R.T. Foard Funeral Home, P.A., 318 George St., Chesapeake City, MD 21915. To send condolences visit www.rtfoard.com.