Obituary of Paul Alex Heyman

Paul Alex Heyman, 79, a 22-year resident of New Canaan, CT, passed away on May 3, 2022. He was born in Brooklyn, New York to Harold Heyman and Marie Alex Heyman on June 6, 1942. Paul lived in Manhattan for many years, but his formative years were spent on Long Island, where he graduated in 1960 from Southside High School in Rockville Centre, NY.

Paul attended Columbia College, graduated with a BA in English in 1964, and earned his JD from the New York University School of Law in 1971. From 1975 until 2002, he worked as an attorney and adjudicator for New York State, representing the Consumer Protection Board, the Secretary of State, the Coastal Zone Management Program, and the State Liquor Authority. In 2002 Paul joined the Social Security Administration as an Administrative Law Judge. Throughout his career he was known for his compassion, fairness and high ethical standards.

Paul was on active duty in the US Coast Guard from 1967 to 1970, stationed in Honolulu and Governor’s Island, NY. He continued in the Reserves until 1973.

An outdoor enthusiast, Paul was an avid hiker, birder, and fisherman. He led hikes for the Appalachian Mountain Club and, in fact, met his wife, Tonya Gwynn, at a Club event. Paul and Tonya loved to travel, from the National Parks, throughout Europe, and on very memorable river cruises.

Paul loved his family. He is survived by Tonya, his wife of 25 years, his first wife, Cheryl Heyman, and their only child, Rachel Nummer, of Kodiak, AK. Paul has three grandsons, Gabriel, Joshua, and Willem, a sister, Laurel Alterman, of Longmont, CO and a brother, David Heyman, of Henderson, NV.

Donations in Paul’s memory can be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association or the Michael J. Fox Foundation.