Paul R. Bachiochi

Paul Richard Bachiochi was born on June 14, 1953, in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Arthur and Mary (Greenough) Bachiochi. He passed from this life and onto the next on January 2, 2023, at the home he shared with his wife Joi in Elk City. Paul grew up in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, with his brothers and sisters. In high school he played basketball and was a star track athlete. After graduating, he went out in search of something of his own. For a time he worked at a group home for children and young adults with intellectual disabilities, assisting them through equine therapy. He also worked as a horse trainer, which took him all over the United States. Paul had a heart for children and animals, which was apparent whenever his gentle soul interacted with either. In 1990 he was working at a nursing home in El Reno when he helped move in the grandmother of his future wife, meeting all the other family members before Joi. As she puts it, “Everyone in the world had met him but me.” Soon after they met, he began their decades-long partnership by serenading her with his blue eyes and white guitar. In 1995, Paul and Joi welcomed their daughter Amber, and in 1999, their son Devon, who completed the family. They made Sweetwater their home and were the tightest knit family one could imagine. Despite the loss of Paul, but because of the ways he lives on in them, they always will be. Paul was a stay-at-home dad until Amber and Devon were old enough to watch after themselves, and he loved every minute of it. He rigged up swings and bike ramps, flew kites and swam with them, and from an early age, taught them words like “tolerance” and “fluffernutter.” His kids were his greatest joy, and it was apparent to everyone who knew him. When Amber got married in 2017, he welcomed Daniel into the family and loved him as one of his own. Paul’s primary occupation was carpentry, and he took great pride in his work, from laying a foundation to painting to cabinetry. He was also an expert cook and gardener and loved nature and early mornings, which he often described as “the best part of the day.” Paul enjoyed old movies, the music of John Prine, making his family laugh or gasp with his wicked sense of humor, and a game of backgammon with Joi or cribbage with Devon. He also had a special bond with the family cat Bianca, affectionately known by him as “Grandma Cat,” who would always find herself perched on the back of his chair. Whether he was making Joi her morning coffee, reading Amber’s writing, discussing music with Devon, or asking Daniel about his teaching, Paul made sure that his family knew he loved them, both by showing them and telling them as often as he could. Every memory, every visit, every phone call they will hold in their hearts forever. Paul is survived by his wife Joi, daughter Amber, son Devon, and son-in-law Daniel, as well as his mother Mary, sisters Nancy and Jane, and a host of other relatives. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you consider making a donation in Paul’s memory to the Mallory Henson Benevolence Fund at Sweetwater School (11107 N Highway 30 Sweetwater, OK 73666), which does the kind of good he was so keen on doing.