Paul Galayda

Paul Galayda, 77 of Trenton, NJ passed away on Saturday, Aug. 13th, 2022. Born in Trenton, Paul was a lifelong Trenton resident before moving to Hamilton Square in 1999.  Growing up, he enjoyed working the family’s orange stand with his mother as well as working for a local radio station and record store while in high school.  He graduated from Trenton Catholic/Cathedral High School and then attended two years at St. Mary’s Seminary, in Baltimore, MD.  Paul coached the Blessed Sacrament high school basketball team at the CYO.  After coaching, Paul became a referee for the CYO, where he enjoyed nearly 30 years refereeing alongside friends Carl Thiel, Mincey Manczak, and others. In 2014, Paul was inducted into the CYO Hall of Fame.  He later coached basketball at Holy Angels while his kids played.

Paul retired after 25 years of service with the Mercer County Department of Corrections with the rank of Captain at the Mercer County Workhouse.  He was a life-long parishioner of Blessed Sacrament and St. Raphael-Holy Angel’s Church, in Trenton, NJ. He was a volunteer for the St. Vincent De Paul Society and a member of the Catholic War Veterans Post #417, the Polish Falcons, and the Colonial Sportsmen’s Club.  Dedicated father, he enjoyed taking his children to sporting events, skiing, swimming in the ocean, boating, waterskiing, and tinkering with electrical projects.

Predeceased in life by his parents, George and Anna (Wilwol) Galayda, and sister, Virginia Galayda; he is survived by his wife, Cindy (Nowak) Galayda, children Judy and Ricky Vetick of Little Egg Harbor, NJ and Julia and Kris Whitford of McGuire Air Force Base, NJ, brother Thomas and Marjorie (Sandusky) Galayda of Williamsburg, VA, grandchildren Riley and Jadyn Vetick, niece Dawn (Galayda) and Mark Idema and nephew Eric and Jamie (Radesi) Galayda, and lifelong friend Fr. George Deutsch.

Calling hours will be 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday August 17, at Maxwell Funeral Home, 160 Mathistown Rd Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday August 18, at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Church, 619 Chestnut St, Lakehurst, NJ 08733 followed by burial at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Trenton, NJ.