A carousel, a track, a boardwalk . . . Staten Island wouldn’t be the Borough of Parks without him. Tom Paulo dies at 73.

Thomas A. Paulo, a passionate public servant who helped shape Staten Island into the Borough of Parks and whose ambitious projects as Staten Island Parks commissioner included the Carousel for All Children and the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, died Thursday at home in Livingston. He was 73.

Mr. Paulo was also a visionary who saw the need to preserve and protect the borough’s green spaces and make them accessible to residents. His Greenbelt Master Plan outlined a system of contiguous public parkland and natural areas in the center of the borough designed with amenities to enjoy them.

During his 17-year tenure as Parks commissioner, which began in 1993, he directed a department that grew to include the largest expanse of local parks and recreational areas in New York City. Among a long list of achievements, Mr. Paulo oversaw efforts to revitalize the South Beach waterfront, including the iconic boardwalk stretching more than a mile along the borough’s East Shore.

His last major project, the 135,000-square-foot Ocean Breeze Track & Field Athletic Complex on Father Capodanno Boulevard, opened in 2015 at a cost of $112 million.

Mr. Paulo’s work touched almost every Staten Island community. In Tottenville, restoration of the Conference House and Conference House Park, including the pavilion at the foot of Hylan Boulevard, provided a balance between passive recreational use and preservation of an important historic site.

Throughout the borough, he helped soften the gritty urban landscape with the Greenstreets program, planting flowers and trees in roadway medians and traffic islands.

Mr. Paulo was also part of the team that negotiated a long-term agreement incorporating the current Richmond County Country Club golf course into the Staten Island Greenbelt.

LASTING LEGACIES

His favorite projects were the Greenbelt Native Plant Center, a 13-acre greenhouse, nursery and seed bank complex, and the Carousel for All Children at Willowbrook Park, which opened in May 1999.

Mr. Paulo began the carousel project five years earlier with $1.5 million from then-Borough President Guy V. Molinari and fund-raising efforts led by a community coalition that included Alice Diamond, wife of then-Advance Publisher Richard E. Diamond.

It features 51 carved wooden figures of mythical beasts, endangered species and traditional carousel horses. Twenty hand-painted renderings of Staten Island landmarks, past and present, line the top of the structure.

The Parks commissioner would note with a wry smile, “I see more adults riding it than kids. Just a lovely amenity.”

LIFELONG COMMITMENT

His work on Staten Island grew out of a lifelong commitment to the borough. As teenagers growing up in Grasmere, he and his sister, Frances, began designing private gardens throughout the North Shore.

Although a landscape architect by training, Mr. Paulo’s career began in law. After graduating from the former Augustinian Academy on Grymes Hill, he earned a degree in psychology from New York University in 1967. Three years later, he graduated from NYU Law School and began practicing law with a Brooklyn firm.

“But as much as I loved the law,” he would say, “my real heart was in design and landscape.”

Two years later, he left his legal practice and entered the graduate program in landscape design at Syracuse University. After earning his graduate degree there, he stayed on to teach at Syracuse for another five years.

In 1978, he returned to Staten Island, taking a position with the New York City Planning Commission. As a key player in developing the Greenbelt Master Plan, he was an easy choice to become the first Greenbelt administrator five years later.

Today the Greenbelt is comprised of 2,800 acres of unspoiled woodland with more than 12 miles of hiking paths. It is the second largest park in New York City, sustained and enhanced by the not-for-profit Greenbelt Conservancy, which Mr. Paulo conceived.

“I was determined to accomplish things and not just talk about them,” the Parks commissioner said in 2010 when he announced his retirement. “That was my credo. Commit yourself to a project and follow through. The Greenbelt began with an idea, then a survey, then a master plan.”

EXQUISITE GARDEN

Mr. Paulo’s own garden on a quarter acre at his home in Livingston is a classic layout of European garden design, featuring numerous exotic plants and one of the borough’s oldest trees, a Linden that was a sapling when Abraham Lincoln was in the White House. His extensive collection of bonsai was one of his great pleasures.

In his spare time, Mr. Paulo enjoyed collecting art, especially porcelain and bronzes, cooking and travel, having visited Europe numerous times both as a professor and tourist.

He is survived by three sisters, Bernadette Paulo of Staten Island; Catherine Paulo of Melbourne, Australia, and Staten Island, and Frances Huber of Naples, Florida; a nephew, Thomas Brown of Melbourne, and a niece, Francesca Brown of Staten Island.

His father, Frank D. Paulo, was the surrogate of Richmond County from 1961 until his death in 1981. His mother, Basilia (Bess), died in 2013 at the age of 96.

A memorial service is planned for the spring. Donations in Mr. Paulo’s name may be made to Richmond University Medical Center or the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry School of Landscape Architecture.

CONDOLENCES

News of Mr. Paulo’s death inspired expressions of sympathy from civic and community leaders.

New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver: “Tom was a dedicated public servant who worked tirelessly to make his home borough of Staten Island a greener and more livable place. I first met him over three decades ago when we worked together at the Department of City Planning’s Staten Island Office -- long before I ever knew our paths would cross again as Parkies -- and I’m so grateful for having been able to work alongside him. He was a mentor and friend. His legacy can be seen across the borough, from the shorelines of South Beach to the forests of the Greenbelt.”

Former New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe: “I first came to know Tom when we were both serving as borough commissioners in the Giuliani administration, with Henry J. Stern as our boss, the Commissioner of Parks & Recreation. I got to travel to Staten Island with Henry on a few occasions, and he and Tom helped teach me the importance of paying a great deal of attention to S.I. -- the “Borough of Parks.”  Later, when I was appointed commissioner by Mayor Bloomberg, I was privileged to have Tom as my guide and interpreter and diplomat in the often-challenging local politics. Tom was a champion of so much that we now take for granted--the expansion of the Greenbelt and the creation of the Greenbelt Conservancy, the planning for Freshkills Park, the restoration of South and Midland Beaches boardwalks and facilities, the creation of the Greenbelt carousel, the creation of the new Greenbelt Nature center and Recreation center, and especially the preservation of hundreds of areas of natural areas.

Tom was the consummate gentleman, always willing to see the good side of people, and working to engage even critics in the world of parks. He respected the people who came before him as pioneers and advocates for historic and natural preservation, told great stories and jokes, was an entertaining and genial lunch and dinner companion, and advocate for the nature, history, and culture of Staten Island. To quote the epitaph for Sir Christopher Wren, inscribed on his tomb in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London -- which he designed: “If you seek his monument, look around you” -- it is all across the landscape of the Borough of Parks.

Staten Island Parks Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone: “Most Staten Islanders knew Tom Paulo as our borough Parks commissioner, but I was especially fortunate to be able to call him my friend and mentor. Tom was determined to make Staten Island a better and greener place. He was masterful in making a concept become reality. To work alongside him was truly a privilege; he forged partnerships, led by example and reinforced the pride of public service. His legacy is and will continue to be enjoyed by generations of park goers! When I find myself questioning how to best move forward on a concept at work, I often find myself asking ‘what would Commissioner Paulo do ...’”

Borough President James Oddo: “There was a stretch of time when the Parks Department was Tom Paulo and Tom Paulo was the Parks Department on Staten Island. We worked on many initiatives together both when I was a young staffer to John Fusco and then in my early years in the City Council. He embodied the agency and he loved Staten Island; that was quite evident. This borough is a little greener and little better because of him. That’s a lovely legacy to have.”

Deputy Borough President Ed Burke: “Tom had a green thumb as borough Parks commissioner, working with our elected officials to add and improve parks throughout Staten Island. He certainly was the major voice and advocate for the Greenbelt Master Plan, which gave rise to our Recreation Center and Nature Center as the centerpiece of the Greenbelt Trail system. So Tom, I wish you Happy Trails, my friend, and thanks for the legacy of parks accomplishments you leave us.”

Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon: “Tom’s passing is a great loss for Staten Island. I was honored to work with Tom while I was in the City Council and secured the funding to purchase and preserve forever the Goodhue Playground and Park, Chapin Woods, Jones’s Woods, Fort Hill Park and the North shore Waterfront Park/Blissenbach Marina. Together we saved over 100 acres of open space. Moreover, with my predecessor in the Council, Jay O’Donovan and immediate successor, Ken Mitchell, we obtained millions of dollars to renovate all of our cultural institutions located on parkland. It would not have been possible without Tom’s advocacy on the agency side. To be sure, we are the ‘Borough of Parks’ thanks in large part to him. A brilliant lawyer and landscape architect, he and his sisters are also incredible community servants imbued with a love of our town from their parents. He will be sorely missed -- and Judy and I send our condolences to his extensive family.”

Alice Diamond, emeritus director of the Greenbelt Conservancy and mother of Advance Publisher Caroline Diamond Harrison: “Tom was a consummate gentle gentleman. I can’t remember exactly when we met, but I do remember well serving on the Greenbelt Conservancy Board. He asked me to join and I felt that I was too busy, but he said, ‘Just one year.’ Each year I agreed to one more year, and I stayed forever. There were many projects, but the one I remember was surely the happiest one. It was the Carousel for all Children. Staten Island was fortunate to have Tom as commissioner of parks. My thoughts return to his parents, Bess and Frank – they were strong role models for their children.”

Dr. Kenneth Saccaro, emeritus director of the Greenbelt Conservancy: “Our lives intersected for the last 45 years. When I was president of the Richmond County Country Club, he was instrumental in arranging the golf course sale to the state. When I was president of the Greenbelt Conservancy, Tom was Parks commissioner and we worked together again. His death is a great loss for Staten Island. He did so much for the Borough of Parks. He was a dear man and a dear friend who will be missed.”

Sally Williams, charter member of the Greenbelt Conservancy Board of Directors: “Tom recognized the need to create a Conservancy, and it began with a grass-roots meeting at his home. He beautified the Island with the Greenstreets program, planting trees and flowers at so many intersections. He was a visionary who made his visions come true.”

Bonnie Fritz, president of the Greenbelt Conservancy Board of Directors: “When I became president in spring 2019, the first thing [charter member] Sally Williams did was arrange a lunch meeting with Tom. The three of us met at the Kings Arms, where Tom shared a history of the Conservancy, gave me a lot of good advice and got me off to a good start. He’s been a supporter through every stage of the Conservancy, on the front lines or from the rear. His work will have a huge impact on future generations.”

Former Borough President James Molinaro: “We differed sometimes, but Tom always knew the right thing to do. He also knew how to give and take when needed. He was very helpful with the refurbishing of the South Beach boardwalk, and was an important part of the process. Tom was always there to help. He was a true gentleman. We need more people like him.”

Aileen Fuchs, president and CEO of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden: “Our staff and Board and the Snug Harbor community are saddened to learn of the passing of former Staten Island Parks Commissioner Tom Paulo. Tom was a longtime supporter of Snug Harbor and instrumental to the design, development, and ongoing maintenance of some of our most beloved gardens. Both in his role as commissioner and later as a neighbor and volunteer, Tom gave his time, resources, and expertise, generously donating to our exquisite peony collection and passionately participating in the Friends of the Chinese Scholar’s Garden. Tom’s presence and contributions have forged a lasting legacy at Snug Harbor, and he will not be soon forgotten.”

Alfred Cerullo III, president and CEO of the Grand Central Partnership: “Staten Island has lost a very special friend. In his own unique way, Tom seized upon his public service DNA to create his own distinct legacy that is seen and felt and experienced in so many of our most special public parks, spaces and institutions. He was a kind soul and a loyal colleague and friend, and I enjoyed all the years we got to work together. I send my love and condolences to his family at this time and am keeping them all in my thoughts and prayers.”

(Robert E. Huber, a former Advance reporter and Tom Paulo’s brother-in-law, contributed to this report.)