Obituary of Paul Milo, Jr.

Paul Milo, Jr. 

10/19/1950 - 01/27/2023

Paul Milo, Jr. passed away on January 27, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts after a battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Paul departed this world exactly as he lived in it - like a true gentleman and on his own terms. He is preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen, his parents, Paul and Clorinda, and his sister, Stephanie. He leaves behind his daughter Stephanie (Nathan), son Scott, and grandchildren Carlee, Jenna, Cameron, Nate, Milo, and Kathleen. 

Paul was born to Paul and Clorinda Milo in New York, New York on October 19, 1950. Paul often spoke fondly of his childhood and how much fun he and his many cousins would have any time the families were together. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1968 and moved to Virginia in the 1970s to attend George Mason University where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics (1976, 1980).  He met the love of his life, Kathleen Witherow while they were living in the same apartment complex in Vienna, VA in 1981. As he would tell it “I saw her washing her car and something told me to go talk to her. A few days later we had dinner, and a few days later we had another dinner, and the rest was history.” They were married on September 25, 1982, and settled in Chantilly, VA. They raised two children in Loudon County, VA and traveled the world together until Kathy lost her own battle with cancer in 2012. Their love story is one for the ages - two best friends who took on life together and squeezed every last drop of joy and adventure out of it. 

In 1991 Paul and his business partner, George Tyson, founded Hyperion, Incorporated. Thirty years later, what started as a two-man systems engineering operation in a one room office has grown into an international organization, operating on three continents in over a dozen countries.  Kathy always joked that she wanted more children but got Hyperion instead.  Paul took a vested interest in all his employees and was responsible for beginning and advancing the careers of many. His work allowed him to travel the world, forging Hyperion into a well-respected and sought-after provider of communications, infrastructure, energy, and civil works solutions to Federal and Commercial Clients. Hyperion continues on today as a lasting tribute to Paul’s legacy. 

In 2005, Paul invested in his lifelong dream to own a sailboat and purchased a J-109, Vento Solare (Italian for “solar wind”).  While Kathy had dreamed of relaxing weekends cruising around the Chesapeake Bay, Paul had other ideas: competitive regattas. Kathy quickly realized that if she wanted to spend any time on the boat or with her husband, she better learn to race a sailboat, and thus a team was formed. Paul brought together a diverse group of world-class sailors from up and down the East Coast (even as far away as the United Kingdom, Heber City, UT and Oahu, HI) and crafted a team that was a force to be reckoned with on the course. These men and women became more than “sailing friends” or “teammates;” they are family.  After some success with Vento, Paul set his sights on longer races further offshore and purchased Orion, his beloved J122, in 2015. Orion and its crew, captained by Paul, gained a reputation as well respected competitors and sailed to podium finishes in 2014 (Newport to Bermuda Race), 2015 (New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta), 2016 (Key West Race Week), and 2017 (Annapolis to Newport Race). 

Of all his accolades, his proudest title was “Grandpa.” He would often say – “the best part of being a parent, is being a grandparent.” To him, his grandchildren were a source of endless joy. He often told his eldest grandson, Cameron, whether hiking through the woods or sitting close by “helping” to build a LEGO, “I will go anywhere and do anything in the world with you.” It was a statement he would stand by. He never missed an opportunity to meet Stephanie and her family on a trip or fly in to see the Buice kids play whatever sport was in season, even taking his eldest granddaughters on a trip of a lifetime to France in 2019. 

Paul had a passion for living life. He never turned down an adventure and often didn’t miss an opportunity to take someone along.  Many of us have accompanied Paul on one of his many adventures and we are better for it.  Everyone was welcome to sit at his table; friends were the family he got to choose. Whether in business, sailing, or friends of his children, Paul had a way of bringing people together and making them feel like family.  He was such a force of nature and when he set his mind to something he would see it through. In the wake of his passing, Paul would encourage us all to “stay the course.”

The family will receive friends at Adams-Green Funeral Home in Herndon, VA on Friday, February 10, 2023 from 5:00-8:00 pm.  A funeral mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Annapolis, MD on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 9:00 am with the burial of Paul and Kathy to follow.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Paul’s name my be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  The Milo and Buice families thank you for your words of sympathy, your prayers for comfort, and your love during this time.