Paul S Asplundh

Paul S. Asplundh, retired chairman of the board of the Asplundh Tree Expert Co., died on June 13, 2012 at the age of 81. Born at home in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania on February 22, 1931, Paul was the second son of Griffith Asplundh, one of the three brothers who founded the company in 1928. Paul worked on tree crews during summer vacations from college and then joined the company full-time in 1956. He had already completed his bachelor’s degree in commerce from The Pennsylvania State University and served two years in the U.S. Air Force as a radio communications officer. In the first few years of his career, Paul worked on the early development of Asplundh’s revolutionary fully-insulated aerial lift and gained more field experience overseeing tree crews in Maryland. In 1960, he was promoted to manager of Asplundh operations throughout the state of Virginia and two years later, he was elected vice president. In 1965, Paul returned to company headquarters in Pennsylvania and spent the next 31 years as an executive working closely with the first, second and third generation family members leading the company. Having served on the board of directors since 1967, he was elected chairman of the board in 1995. Paul retired from day-to-day operations on December 31, 1996, and from the board ten years later. In addition to his corporate duties, Paul was the president of the Jenkintown Chamber of Commerce and served on several boards including Abington Memorial Hospital, Huntingdon Valley Country Club, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Academy of the New Church, all in southeastern Pennsylvania. He enjoyed family gatherings and traveling, especially to Hilton Head, South Carolina and Beaver Creek, Colorado. Paul is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mimi; a daughter, Paige Cumming (Chris); three sons, Scott (Hali), Brent (Kelly) and Gregg (Camy); a sister, Leone Graham (George); and 12 grandchildren.