Mr. Paul Ernest Jean Muhly, 86, passed away in his sleep in Parksley on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025.
Paul was born on May 18, 1939, in Rochester, N.Y., to Mr. Ernest Alfred Muhly and Mrs. Suzanne Victorine (Schaffter) Muhly. Paul graduated from Brighton High School in Brighton, N.Y., in 1957.
Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army, proudly serving his country for four years in Kaiserslautern, Germany. This is where he met and married his wife, Elizabeth (Zangerle) Davis.
Paul was an accomplished printer by trade, and upon his return from Germany he joined his father in the printing business at Rochester Colonial Lithographic, later hiring on at one of the biggest printing companies in the country, Case-Hoyt Printing in Rochester. With this experience, he opened his own printing business, Lithografiks Inc., which he ran for several years until the untimely passing of his friend and business partner, Brian Bennett.
Most will remember Paul for his unwavering service to his community as an Accomack County Supervisor for District 4 from 2015 to 2023. A “come-here,” he nonetheless embraced the Eastern Shore of Virginia (ESVA) as if he were a “born-here,” constantly promoting the region. Paul’s contributions to the community as a member of the board of supervisors are countless, but most notable were his successful campaign to relocate the county library and ESVA Heritage Center to Parksley and his work to promote educational programs to supply emergency medical technicians for the county.
He had a deep love for the Eastern Shore and its people, dedicating his time and efforts to the Waste Watchers of the Eastern Shore and serving on the ESVA Ground Water Committee. In addition, Paul was a passionate, active member of the Accomack Republican Party, instrumental in recruiting and uplifting hard-working, dedicated representatives.
Paul’s journey to the ESVA from Rochester was indirect. In 1999, he sold his house in Rochester and moved to Cape May, N.J., to support his daughter, Alexandra, who was serving as a recruit trainer with the U.S. Coast Guard. When Alexandra transferred to Portsmouth, Paul followed, continuing his invaluable support, even home schooling his grandson, Ryan, for a period. However, Paul began house hunting in early 2004 when Alexandra received transfer orders to Seattle, Wash. It was then that Paul found his new home in Parksley and began surrounding himself with incredible friends.
Paul had many passions, but chief among them were auto racing and sailing. As a young man, Paul was a crew member for the Barry Budlong racing team, primarily competing at Watkins Glen International in New York. When it came to sailing, he owned a Dragon (keelboat) for a while, later turning his passion for carpentry and boating towards building a beautiful kayak.
Paul was informally known as the “welcoming committee,” making a genuine effort to stop and talk to others with the purpose of getting to know them and extending a welcoming and helpful hand to anyone. Paul was also known for his wit and charm, always ready with a funny story or joke to break the ice. All in all, Paul was the epitome of a selfless, hardworking individual, devoting his life to improving his community and helping others. He leaves a legacy of civic-mindedness and as one close friend said, “a tremendous void in our community.”
Paul is survived by his three children, Andrea Nicole Muhly, of Rochester, Peter Ernest Muhly, of Oldsmar, Fla., and Alexandra Muhly, of Williamsburg; his daughter-in-law, Barbara Muhly, of Oldsmar; and his sons-in-law, Timothy Santmyer, of Mobile, Ala., Timothy Williams, of Rochester, and Jonathan Grimes, of Williamsburg; his grandchildren, Jessica Gauldin, of Rochester, René Grimes, of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., and Rowan Muhly, who is serving in the U.S. Air Force; his great-granddaughter, Cassandra Gauldin, of Rochester; and his brother, Ernest Jan Paul Muhly, of Frederick, Md.
Paul was preceded in death by his grandchildren, Michael Williams and Ryan Santmyer.
Although Paul’s passing is deeply mourned, a celebration for a life well-lived is planned. The celebration of life will be held on Friday, Aug. 29, from 1 to 3 p.m., in the community hall at the Parksley Volunteer Fire Company, located at 18431 Dunne Ave., Parksley. All are invited to come together to honor the life of a dear father and friend, Paul Muhly. There will be no interment.
The family offers for consideration that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to two of Paul’s special interests that he cared a lot for: the Parksley Volunteer Fire Company, https://parksleyvfc.org/ and/or, Waste Watchers of the Eastern Shore, https://wastewatchersesva.org/
Finally, a heartfelt thanks from Paul’s family goes out to all of you who have reached out and expressed your condolences and offered support and assistance. These acts of kindness reinforce the truth already known — that Paul positively impacted the lives of many and he was truly surrounded by a loving community.
Whatever guided him to the Eastern Shore, it was fortuitous. As the words from Beyoncé’s song “I Was Here” go:
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I’ve done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it
would be
I will leave my mark so everyone
will know I was here
That he did!
Memory tributes may be shared with the family at
www.williamsfuneralhomes.com
Arrangements are by the Williams-Parksley Funeral Home.
