Any given day at Decatur House might find new resident Paul Gibbs enjoying Bingo, trivia, an art class, massage and Reiki, DrumFIT, a music event or the pre-dinner social.
“I like pretty much everything,” he said, smiling.
Paul’s daughter, Chelsea, was not surprised. “He’s always been very active,” she said.
As a child, Chelsea played in several of Sandwich’s recreational sports programs, including soccer and basketball. “He coached all of my sports,” she said. “He’s a great dad!” Chelsea’s sisters, Hailee and Jillian, were cheerleaders, and Paul attended all of their games as well.
Originally from central New York, Paul spent summers on the Cape beginning as a young child. He moved his own family to Sandwich permanently in 1998.
“I always loved the Cape – it’s beautiful,” he said.
Paul especially loves being on the waters off Cape Cod and has owned several boats over the years. Some of his favorite memories involve boating with friends and family, or landing a feisty striped bass.
And he passed along his love for boating to his daughters. “He used to take my sisters and me out on a Sunfish and taught us how to sail,” Chelsea said.
Despite his New York roots, Paul’s favorite team—“since I was 3 years old” — has been the Red Sox, and Fenway Park one of his favorite destinations.
He may have been influenced by his dad. “My father loved baseball and the Red Sox,” Paul said. “And he hated the Yankees!”
Paul is also quite passionate about food – his favorite memory of Italy is its cuisine – and he knows his way around a kitchen.
“He was always a very good cook, and loved to experiment with food,” Chelsea said. “We were lucky to grow up with such a good chef!”
So the next time you see Paul—he’s the gregarious gent with a passing resemblance to Ernest Hemingway—be sure to say “Welcome to Decatur House” and “Bon Appetit!”