October 11, 1927 – July 12, 2023

Paul T. Rivard, 95, passed away on July 12th, 2023, of heart failure.

Born to George J. and Irene Rivard in Decatur, Illinois on October 11th, 1927, Paul is survived by his 3 sons, Tuck, Mark and Rob. Also 3 grandchildren, Hope, Lisa and Ryan. 3 great grandchildren, Cole, Isaiah and Raquel.

Paul grew up in Decatur where his father being a doctor made many house calls. At 14, Paul would often drive the family car and take his father from house to house. Then at 17 he enlisted in the Navy and was aboard the USS Midway in the Atlantic just after WW2 was declared over. After the war, Paul returned to Decatur to attend Millikin University where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry. Shortly thereafter he married and started a family then moved to Aurora, Illinois to work for Parke-Davis as a pharmaceutical rep.

In the late 1950’s, Paul made the decision to move to Lake Tahoe. The family arrived in Tahoe City in 1959 where Paul contracted with builders to construct the Lake of the Sky Motor Inn before the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. A few years later he became a realtor and then had the Squaw Valley Tennis Club.

Paul never tired of years of skiing, tennis, hiking, bicycling, golf and sailing. Later in life, he was still active in recreational activities with his sons. In his eighties, Paul hiked sections of the Tahoe Rim Trail with Rob. He played tennis with Mark at age 89 and last skied with Tuck at age 90.

As a longtime resident of the Tahoe area, Paul will aways be remembered as a polite and friendly man with a warm smile. He had a gentle kind spirit and will be deeply missed.