Paul Laurian Mccann

City builder. Relationship builder.

McCANN, Paul Laurian of Hull, MA, Feb. 21, 2022, at age 81.

Born the son of the late William and Anna McCann on June 23rd, 1940 and raised in South Boston as the middle child of 11, Paul was a natural negotiator and consensus builder, traits that made him uniquely successful in his 50-year career as a public servant.

Paul began working for the Boston Redevelopment Authority as an office boy in 1958 while a student at BC High, the year after the agency was established. He worked at the BRA through Boston College, Suffolk Law School and service in the Army Reserves and continued to serve the public good under ten BRA directors and Mayors Hynes, Collins, White, Flynn, and Menino. In addition to his usual title as executive assistant to the director, he served as the acting director of the agency on four occasions.

Paul played an instrumental role in helping to develop affordable housing and preserve and grow many of Boston’s historic, cultural, social service, and civic institutions, as well as creating and revitalizing public spaces, including Quincy Market, Charlestown Navy Yard, and the Harborwalk. In 1994, he received the Henry Shattuck Award for Public Service and was designated a special Boston landmark. As a constant and steadying presence at the agency, Paul served as the organization’s historian and mentor to many, providing institutional knowledge and guidance to colleagues at City Hall through decades of enormous change and growth.

While proud of his career of service, in Paul’s eyes, his most important legacies were his relationships with his family and friends, and the memories he created with them. Paul particularly loved sailing on his boat, the Peace and Plenty, and skiing at Attitash in New Hampshire. He took great joy in sharing these experiences with others across a lifetime of memorable weekends and days off. Paul lived with infectious joy and love every day of his 81 years. He loved people, and they loved him. The defining relationship of his life was with his beloved Pat, with whom he felt blessed to share nearly 80 loving years.

Paul is survived by his beloved wife Patricia Foley McCann, his son PJ McCann and his wife Julie of Dorchester and their daughters Cecily and Harriet, and his daughter Joanna McCann Frazier and her husband Jamie of Norwell and their children Catalina and Dean.

Dear brother of William McCann of South Boston, Mary O’Brien (late Dr. Edward) of South Easton, Kathleen Neal (General Richard I. Neal) of Washington, D.C., Rita White (Paul) of Hull, and the late Nancy, Leo, Sister Helen (CSJ), Joseph (Anne), Michael (Jeanne), and Frank (Paula). Paul is also survived by his sisters-in-law Kathleen Foley of Hull and Marie White (Charles) of Annapolis, MD, brother-in-law Thomas Foley (Betty) of Hingham, and 25 loving nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, February 27th from 3-7 p.m. at Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St., Hingham, MA 02043. A funeral service is scheduled for Monday, February 28th at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish, 208 Samoset Ave. in Hull. Burial will follow at Hull Village Cemetery. The family respectfully requests that guests wear face coverings while indoors.

Memorial donations may be made to the Pine Street Inn, 444 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, Attn: Development Office.