1942 - 2026
Born October 12, 1942, in North Attleboro, Paul was the son of the late Melvin S. and Margaretta (Greene) Compton. He spent his early years in West Medway before moving to Franklin at age 15 and graduating from Franklin High School in 1960.
As a young boy, Paul survived a severe bout of meningitis during a local outbreak, spending weeks at Boston Floating Hospital. Those who knew him understood that resilience was part of who he was.
After graduating, Paul founded C&W Horse Transport Company, hauling racehorses throughout the Northeast, to tracks in the South and West, and eventually overseas. He built his reputation by being available when others were not — answering calls at any hour and earning trust through reliability. Later, he became the owner and operator of Compton Sprinkler Company, installing fire protection systems across Southeast New England for many years.
If someone called, he came. That resilience, forged early in life, shaped the kind of worker he became. Day or night, if something needed attention, he pulled on his boots and went.
Yet his life extended far beyond business.
Paul carried an older kind of knowledge — practical, wide-ranging, and learned by doing. He did not follow conventional paths; he figured out his own. At just nineteen, while attending a house auction on West Central Street, he purchased a building destined for demolition to make way for Interstate 495 — for $500 and without a clear plan. He secured land, poured a foundation, and moved the entire structure half a mile. That bold beginning led to additional historic relocations, and today, the neighborhood near Pond Street and Overlook Drive quietly reflects his efforts — homes that appear centuries old were transported there by truck within recent decades.
His curiosity and craftsmanship extended to countless hands-on pursuits.
He restored antique kerosene and whale oil lamps, rebuilt hit-and-miss engines, ran printing presses, and hatched poultry and pigeons. He frequented flea markets and auctions, collected stamps, and eventually expanded into house cleanouts - efforts that usually brought profit even where others saw only “trash.” He was known to pull over for any yard sale or scrap pile that caught his eye; he simply could not ignore useful things being thrown away.
His appreciation for preservation reached a larger scale when he restored the circa-1843 Arcade Building in Blackstone, Massachusetts — a granite block structure sometimes referred to as the town’s first “shopping mall.” For this work, he received recognition from the Blackstone Historical Society.
Although deeply rooted in Franklin, Paul traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Near East, most recently visiting Poland.
Much of what he built still stands. He would say there is always something worth saving.
Paul is survived by his sisters, Diane J. Compton and Melanie J. Compton of Franklin. He was predeceased by his brothers, David B. Compton and Todd J. Compton.
Services will be announced and held at a later date in warmer weather. Arrangements are under the care of the Ginley Funeral Home of Franklin.
