Paul J. Weichselbaum

Paul Weichselbaum of Burlington, MA, passed away on October 26, 2026, following an inspiring four-and-a-quarter year journey with pancreatic cancer, which he faced with extraordinary strength, resilience, and grace.

The son of the late Joseph and Therese (Mayer) Weichselbaum and brother of the late Jay Weichselbaum. Paul is survived by his beloved wife of 41 years Marianne, his daughter Sarah and daughter-in law Alyssa, his son Matthew and daughter-in-law Lea and granddaughters, Ella and Mila. Paul also leaves behind an adored and adoring extended family, including seven much-loved nieces and nephews: Emily, Owen, Tim, Allyson, Arielle, Arash and Ben.

Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Paul distinguished himself early in both academics and athletics. In high school, he was a National Scholar-Athlete, valedictorian of his class, and a member of a 200-meter freestyle relay team that set a national record. He went on to attend Stanford University, where he earned degrees with distinction in Economics and Sociology, graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and was named a Rhodes Scholar finalist. He later earned his MBA with honors from Harvard Business School. Most importantly, it was at Harvard that Paul met Marianne, the love of his life and his partner in a lifetime of adventures.

Although Paul enjoyed a successful career as a management executive, holding senior leadership positions throughout his professional life, his work was never what defined him. Paul often spoke of his life’s three greatest passions: Family, Travel, and Golf—in that order. He was intentional about exposing his family to the world and creating experiences and memories that would last a lifetime. Beginning when Matt and Sarah were young, Paul made a point of taking each of them on yearly one-on-one trips. Paul cherished this time with his children. He also delighted in creating special experiences for his extended family, generously sharing the opportunities, adventures, and places that meant so much to him.

Paul was always intentional about how he lived his life. He often shared his philosophy that we have three assets in life: time, money, and vigor; but that, at any given point, we generally have access to only two of the three. This powerful framework helped guide the decisions Paul made and reflected his thoughtful approach to how he spent his time, used his resources, and embraced life's opportunities.

Paul believed deeply in lifelong personal growth. He took great pride in his own evolution as a person and shared the learnings of his own growth to help others on their journeys. A natural teacher and extraordinary listener, Paul had a gift for asking just the right questions. Almost everyone who knew Paul can readily cite an example of how his famous question “What are you solving for?” helped change their life in some meaningful way.

Paul also had a wonderful way of helping all kinds of businesses improve. Whenever he received service that fell short of his expectations, he would politely ask to speak to the manager. He would then deliver the line that never failed to make his family howl with laughter— “I don’t think this was the experience that I expected or that you intended.” It was pure Paul—direct, gracious and with an eye toward helping someone to do better.

Paul generously gave his time, wisdom, and guidance to countless relatives, friends, friends of friends; helping with resumes, job interviews, tricky negotiations, issues of self-worth. He brought a remarkable combination of intellect, insight, humility, humor and integrity to everything he did. He displayed a quiet wisdom and an inherent kindness that made people feel comfortable and valued.

Above all, Paul was a man who sought to live with joy and purpose. He encountered significant challenges throughout his life yet met them with a resilience and determination that inspired those around him. He was a steady presence, a trusted advisor, a devoted husband and father and a genuinely remarkable human being.

We are profoundly grateful for the life Paul lived, the love he shared, the wisdom he imparted, and the countless lives he touched. His influence will live on in the people he helped, the experiences he created, the lessons he taught, and the memories we cherish.

He will be deeply, deeply missed.

Funeral Services:

“A Gathering for Paul”

Location:

First Parish Church

7 Harrington Road, Lexington, MA

Date: Thursday, November 5 – visiting 4:30-6:30pm

Memorial Service

Location:

Sanctuary of First Parish Church

7 Harrington Road, Lexington, MA

Date: Friday, November 6 – 10:30am (private burial to follow)