Meet New ASA Board Member (ex officio) and ASA Treasurer, Paul Caputo
By Karin Norton
For Paul, life has always been about family and community. Growing up in Brooklyn, as one of eight brothers and sisters with an extended Italian family, family gatherings were neighborhood gatherings and vice versa. Paul sees parallels to our closely-knit Academy Village community.
Born into a hard-working class family, Paul was the first to go to college. After graduating, becoming a Certified Public Accountant, and securing a position with one of the national accounting firms, Paul was drafted into the U.S. Army. After graduating from Officer Candidate School, he married Dorothy, his high school sweetheart. Thereafter, he was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey as a training officer before being sent to Vietnam. As a First Lieutenant, he spent about a year in the Mekong Delta.
Once out of the military, the Caputos visited Paul’s sister in Phoenix before returning to his accounting career in New York City. But, the openness of the desert was calling. In 1972, Paul and Dorothy, with two kids in tow, moved to Phoenix in July! Arizona became a new center of family life for Paul and three of his siblings.
Paul left corporate accounting to start his own business in order to help people and serve his community. For 50 years, the Caputos lived in their home near ASU, but Phoenix had grown so fast, it was beginning to feel like the East Coast.
Once again, the openness of the desert and the family was calling. Two children live in the Tucson area, and their daughter and son-in-law were familiar with Academy Village from their regular musical performances here.
The Caputos moved to Academy Village in 2022. They were attracted by the ASA’s life-long learning, the Villas’ assisted living facilities, and the many nice people they met.
In many ways, Paul feels as though he has come full circle. His family is close and Academy Village is his new community. He continues to dedicate himself to public service and giving back.
When the ASA went through a difficult time a few years ago, Paul’s next chapter became clear. He worked on the Finance Committee to help ASA become more transparent, better organized, and a better communicator. As Treasurer, he hopes to continue this work as well as clarifying the ASA mission and vision. His ultimate goal is to foster the legacy, like family-roots, that runs deep throughout the Academy Village community and use that to bind people together.
Welcome Paul!