Biography: “...to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord”
II Corinthians 5:7-9
Paul Eugene Aponte was born April 22, 1960 at East Meadow Hospital in East Meadow NY. He was the son of the late Lillith and Walter Boxill. On Sunday January 5th, 2020, Paul was called to meet the Lord. Quietly and peacefully he answered The Father’s heavenly call at Northport VA Medical Center Hospital, East Northport, NY.
As a child he attended the Wyandanch Schools, eventually Graduating from St. John’s H.S. in East Islip. After High School he joined the U.S Marine Corps and served proudly. Early in life Paul developed a sincere passion for music, percussion in particular. If you put him in front of some congas, drums, cow-bell, chimes, symbols, claveys, timbales (pronounced tim-bal-eze) he was in his glory. Over the years, he performed with many bands, groups, DJ’s, singers, lyricists, poets and yearly with the Vinettes Dancing School. Whether on stage to accompany or alone, he always rocked the house. What a site to see and a blessing to hear.
On August 19, 1998 while attending a cookout, Paul ate a chicken wing and told everyone he was going to marry the woman that cooked those wings. Little did he know he was sitting right next to her. That woman was Renee Newman and they were inseparable from that day forward. He proposed many times following that day and in 2007 she finally said yes. They were married on September 21, 2007 and that was the day that our families were officially joined together for a lifetime.
Aside from family, music was absolutely the center and foundation of who Paul was. In the past year and a half he achieved his dream of leaving his musical legacy, and released 3 CD’s of his own original music entitled “Where’s Yours”, “Has No Time” and “The Notes Keep Falling”
Paul (Timbalesman to most of us, Husband, Dad, Pops, Brother, Uncle, Friend and P-Pop to his Grandchildren) leaves to cherish his memories, his Wife, Renee Newman-Aponte, Son Paul Aponte, Jr, Daughters Karima Williams, Zarinah Williams-Powell, Mother-In-Law Ella Smith-Harris, Sisters Charmaine Aponte, Christine Evans, Ruby Boxill, Claire Boxill, Grandchildren, Xavier Powell, Luke Gallagher, Kennedy Gallagher, Jax Gallagher, Brothers-in-law Willis Smith and family, Wallace Smith and family, Uncle Laurence Glover, Aunts Inez Douglas, Belle Glover, Lucille Myers, Nieces Dara McPhal, Dominique (Nikko) Smith, Nephews Jonathan Smith, Dylan Smith, Justin Smith, Wayne Evans, Kevin Evans, Kenneth Smith, Abdul Evans, Chaka Evans and a host of cousins, relatives and friends.
