A Sad day.

I write this with a heavy heart. My pizza pal Paul passed away recently. His absence has left a void in my life, and I find it hard to believe that I won't be able to share another pizza with him. He lived a joyous life, so although I am sad, I was happy to know him.

Paul reached out to me many years ago. He had read Peter Reinhart’s American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza."

 In the book, Peter had mentioned that I lived in Hawaii.

I review American Pie, My Search for the Perfect Pizza here:

https://www.amazon.com/live/broadcast/eb6e1c30-6ca4-4ec3-93e4-9c57f1208b7e?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_cm_sw_al__094MS1XERGJSBA9VTMS7

( If you decide to grab anything through my Amazon link, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. It’s a simple way to support what I do while treating yourself to something great.)

Paul explained that the book had motivated him to want to make pizza. 

He explained he wanted my advice on building a wood-fired pizza oven. We discussed several options. He called later to say he had found a design he was interested in and had proceeded to make the pizza oven in his backyard. 

His house was located on the North Shore of Oahu, about a block from the beach. This turned out to be a great pizza place.

Once the oven was completed, he invited me to make pizza in his oven. 

You can see a picture on the back of the Pizza Therapy Pizza book. 

This marked the beginning of many pizza parties at his house. I remember the laughter, the smell of freshly baked pizza, and the joy on Paul's face as he watched his pizza oven bake pizza after pizza. He had created an incredible pizza station, featuring a dough-stretching station, followed by a selection of ingredients. There was joy and laughter as pizza makers (some for the first time) made pizza. 

I was invited to a pizza-making memorial at his house recently. Again there were stories and laughter by  the people Paul had touched and influenced over the years. And of course, we made pizza to honor his spirit.

RIP, Paul. Here, the oven you built, is a legacy to your spirit and love of people. I was honored to be part of your life. You touched so many on the North Shore, creating a community bonded by a shared passion for good food and good company. Our pizza parties were the stuff of legends. Thank you for your friendship and your pizza love. Our memories of pizza will live forever.

All I can say is that the lesson is this: we need to take care of each other. We are here for a short time, so let us make the most of it.

Thanks for reading this.

  Explore the Pizza Therapy T-Shirt Collection and grab your favorite slice-inspired design. Every shirt is a hug from the oven.