Obituary for Paul A. Allaire
Paul Allaire passed away peacefully at home on his farm in Connecticut on February 24th. He was 80 years old. The cause of death was Multiple Myeloma which he lived with for the past eleven years. He is survived by his wife Tina, his son Brian, his daughter Christiana Marran, six grandchildren and five siblings.
He was born in Auburn MA and educated there in the public schools. He went on to earn a BS in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and an MS in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and subsequently served on both boards of Trustees.
Paul joined Xerox in 1966 as a financial analyst and retired as Chairman and CEO at the end of 2001. He is credited with the extraction of Xerox from Financial Services as well as leading the company through its transition from black and white to color and then to digital. Mentoring female executives was also a focus throughout his career, and the two CEOs who succeeded him were both women: Anne Mulcahy said, “Paul’s achievements in business, government and the non-profit world will be long-remembered. So will his leadership in championing the rights of women and leveling the playing field for women in the world of work. Paul leaves a legacy that few can match, yet those of us who were privileged to know him will remember Paul best as a decent and humble man who fully engaged life and who left this earth better than he found it.”
Paul was also engaged in a number of activities outside of Xerox. He was an active adviser and supporter of President Clinton. He served on a number of government commissions and chaired the Council on Competitiveness. He chaired The Ford Foundation Board of Directors, and served on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations, The New York City Ballet, The Nature Conservancy Colorado, and Outward Bound. His corporate boards included Glaxo Smith Kline, Lucent, Sara Lee, JP Morgan and Priceline.
Paul was an avid skier, cyclist and horseman which he continued into his 80th year.
The family will announce a memorial service in due course; in lieu of flowers they ask for donations to The Nature Conservancy and The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
He was born in Auburn MA and educated there in the public schools. He went on to earn a BS in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and an MS in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and subsequently served on both boards of Trustees.
Paul joined Xerox in 1966 as a financial analyst and retired as Chairman and CEO at the end of 2001. He is credited with the extraction of Xerox from Financial Services as well as leading the company through its transition from black and white to color and then to digital. Mentoring female executives was also a focus throughout his career, and the two CEOs who succeeded him were both women: Anne Mulcahy said, “Paul’s achievements in business, government and the non-profit world will be long-remembered. So will his leadership in championing the rights of women and leveling the playing field for women in the world of work. Paul leaves a legacy that few can match, yet those of us who were privileged to know him will remember Paul best as a decent and humble man who fully engaged life and who left this earth better than he found it.”
Paul was also engaged in a number of activities outside of Xerox. He was an active adviser and supporter of President Clinton. He served on a number of government commissions and chaired the Council on Competitiveness. He chaired The Ford Foundation Board of Directors, and served on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations, The New York City Ballet, The Nature Conservancy Colorado, and Outward Bound. His corporate boards included Glaxo Smith Kline, Lucent, Sara Lee, JP Morgan and Priceline.
Paul was an avid skier, cyclist and horseman which he continued into his 80th year.
The family will announce a memorial service in due course; in lieu of flowers they ask for donations to The Nature Conservancy and The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.