Paul Sayour

Paul Theodore Sayour, 86, of Englewood Cliffs, NJ died peacefully at his home on Friday, June 7, 2024. He grew up in Brooklyn, NY and was a 1958 graduate of the University of Dayton, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business. Paul worked for the Elias Sayour Company, a well-known manufacturer in the garment industry in Manhattan, for over 50 years, serving as President from 1988 until his retirement in 2010. The business was started by his father, and Paul was honored to continue the tradition, working alongside his family and his wife. Paul was the beloved husband of the late Carol Ann (Gosen) Sayour to whom he was happily married for 57 years; theirs was a true love affair and they were as dashing together in their later years as they were on their wedding day. He was born on August 5, 1937 at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, a son of the late Jeanette and Elias Sayour. He is survived by two sons and a daughter: Paul E. Sayour of South Kingstown, RI; David G. Sayour, and his wife, Claudine Sayour, of River Edge, NJ; and Jeanmarie (Sayour) Leonard, and her husband, Matthew J. Leonard, of South Kingstown, RI. He was the adored "Gido" to nine grandchildren including Paul G. Sayour, Shawn R. Sayour, Paige E. Sayour, Matthew J. Leonard, Jack T. Leonard, Christian W. Leonard, Logan P. Leonard, David P. Sayour and Cameron A. Sayour. He is survived by his sister and two brothers: Mary Jane (Sayour) Gosen of Westfield, NJ and her husband Al; John Sayour of Los Angeles, CA; and James Sayour of San Diego, California. He is predeceased by his sister and brother, Barbara Sayour and Peter Sayour. He is survived by dozens of loving nieces and nephews. Paul was a kind and loving husband, father, brother, son, grandfather "gido", uncle and friend whose charismatic personality, sense of humor and love for his family was cherished by all who knew him. He was proud of his heritage, often listening to Syrian music and enjoying middle eastern cuisine. He would often captivate the attention of others as he would "kid around", telling stories and talking about his favorite stocks. As a fan of electronics, he loved radios, tvs, watches and anything else that came with an owner's manual. He would often read the manual cover to cover multiple times, making notes in the margins, well before he ventured to turn on any new gadget for the first time. Paul was an avid tennis player who loved to play with his wife, his brothers, and his many friends; he was always happy to give a quick lesson to those in need. Even in his eighties, he would often say "let's go hit balls". In his later years, his favorite afternoon activity, after a glorious swim in his meticulous backyard pool, was a rest on the couch with the New York Post, a glass of wine, a plate of mezze and the tv playing a sporting event, nature documentary or fast-paced action movie. Paul loved his wife and his family more than anything else. He was so very proud of his children, his grandchildren and his many nieces and nephews. He will be missed beyond belief. Visitation will be Thursday, June 13th at the Barrett Leber Funeral Home, 148 Dean Dr., Tenafly, NJ 07670 from 2:00-4:00pm and from 5:00-7:00pm. A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 14th at 10:30am at the Immaculate Conception Church, 67 North Lake Road, Haines Falls, NY 12436 immediately followed by the burial at St. Francis de Sales Church Cemetery on Route 16/Platte Clove Road, Elka Park, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.