Paul Zucca was 1) A gentle soul, 2) A shrewd strategist, 3) A savvy politician, and 4) A devoted friend to many all across the City of Atlanta.
I, along with innumerable other Atlantans, reaped the benefits of his constant activity, his remarkable ability to connect persons everywhere, and his extraordinary commitment to Atlanta and its well-being.
Paul believed strongly in helping promote candidates for office and did so with a remarkable commitment of time and energy throughout his life.
I ran six times and in every single campaign, Paul was there. He guided my campaigns and those of many others over decades.
No one could “work a crowd” better than Paul Zucca. He was the ultimate connector and communicator.
As the proprietor of the IHOP at the intersection of Piedmont and North Avenue with his life partner John Newcomb, they became friends with many notable politicians and elected officials. Their restaurant was the “go-to” place for many years.
Morning phone calls from Paul were always special. It was as if one had a personal “news clipping service.”
A phone call from Paul meant that you would hear everything that you needed to know but didn’t even know you needed to know.
Paul knew everyone: he knew who was important, who thought they were important, and who would be really annoyed if I didn’t think they were important.
A great friend, a great supporter, and a great Atlantan… that was Paul Zucca.
Thank you Mary for this thoughtful tribute to
Thank you Mary for this nice tribute to Paul.
I do not even remember how I first met Paul, but I too have benefited from his insight into the workings of our city.
Time flies by so quickly. I met Paul about 40 years ago at a city planning meeting. We were both active in our Neighborhood Planning Units and we both shared similar concerns. We became fast friends and we shared information and strategy on community issues and political campaigns. Paul never refused the requests to serve and he worked tirelessly on several citizen boards-all for the well being of the community.
The citizens of Atlanta and Fulton County have lost a kind and thoughtful human being and a valuable asset.
Paul was one of Atlanta´s redeeming qualities. I will miss our phone calls. What ever will we do now?