In Remembrance: Paul C. Gignilliat ’53 Died on November 22 2025

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Paul Charles Gignilliat passed away on November 22, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois.

You would be forgiven for concluding that the world which survives Paul Charles Gignilliat is a colder, grimmer place for his absence. Yet such a verdict misses the full measure of his influence on those fortunate enough to know him and to feel his boundless affection. Paul had an almost supernatural ability to transform any room with his unique combination of warmth, humor, and generosity. That gift drew the widest smiles from his friends and family in each moment of his 93 years and will continue to live on in the hearts of all who loved him.

The roots of Paul’s unshakable optimism can be traced to a chance meeting with Ellen Cash in 1955 in Culver, Indiana. Their connection sparked a joyous partnership that lasted seven decades. They married in 1957 and built a life in Oak Park, Illinois, where they raised three daughters: Suzanne, Bibby, and Mary. From that home, Paul’s presence radiated outward, touching an ever-expanding community of people and institutions enriched by his kindness and involvement.

To know Paul was to witness his passion for learning and his deep loyalty to his alma maters, the Culver Military Academy and Yale University. He often said that these schools had provided every tool he needed for a meaningful life. In return, he worked tirelessly to promote access to their programs and to enhance their campuses, ensuring that future generations could share in the opportunities that shaped him.

A steadfast believer in service, Paul followed his family’s footsteps into the ROTC and, after graduating from Yale in 1953, was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy. He served two years at Great Lakes Naval Station aboard the USS Daniel A. Joy. The discipline he gained during that period stayed with him, and he frequently spoke of those days as among the most formative of his life.

After completing his service, Paul began his professional career as an investment adviser at Glore Forgan in Chicago. He joined Kidder, Peabody & Co. in 1961 and remained through its subsequent acquisitions—first by GE, then PaineWebber, and ultimately UBS. Over six decades, Paul’s intellect, insight, and grace made him an essential figure within each new chapter of the firm, an achievement few can claim.

Yet it often felt as though Paul’s true work began in the evenings, when he poured his energy into the civic and cultural life of his community. During his three decades in Oak Park, he raised funds for the Oak Park Community Chest, helped lead the restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, and served as head of the Oak Park–River Forest High School Board, which his daughters attended.

Paul’s involvement in and impact on the lives of his children cannot be overstated. He was a constant reading companion, carpool captain, mischief co-conspirator, game partner, and emotional anchor.

After relocating to downtown Chicago in 1985, Paul became a founding member of the Chicago Humanities Festival and served on the boards of Hubbard Street Dance, the Chicago International Film Festival, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fourth Presbyterian Church, and numerous others.

Theaters and concert halls across Chicagoland—from the Goodman Theatre to the Merit School of Music—are well acquainted with the generosity and steadfast support of Paul and Ellen Gignilliat.

His inextinguishable love of the arts was perhaps matched only by his passion for knowledge and language. He filled his home with novels and histories, quoted Shakespeare in conversation (with varying accuracy), and planned travel around his ever-evolving intellectual interests.

Athletics were another enduring joy. He rowed and boxed at both Culver and Yale, later ran two New York City marathons and multiple triathlons, biked long-distance routes, swam, and played squash, golf, and tennis. (His longtime tennis and squash partners will never forget his unusual and formidable ambidexterity.) Paul even took up tap dancing at the age of 80.

Ever the gentleman and gentle man, his greatest gift may have been conversation. Blessed with an endlessly inquisitive mind, Paul delighted in new ideas and unexpected viewpoints. Time spent talking with him was always a pleasure; he had a rare ability to take in the world’s constant changes with genuine interest, reflection, and gratitude. And of course, his verbal quips and expressions will live on in countless future conversations.

Paul often quoted Psalm 23:5, noting that his cup “runneth over” with blessing and good fortune. Those who survive him—his wife of 68 years, Ellen Cash Gignilliat; his daughters Suzanne (Tom Hinkes), Bibby, and Mary; and his grandsons Paul Sylvester Hinkes (Carolina Trombetta) and Philip Edward Hinkes—know that they were, in truth, the ones entrusted with that overflowing cup.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Culver Academies, Chicago Lights, or the Chicago Humanities Festival.

—Submitted by the family.