Paul Abraham Agron

Paul Abraham Agron passed away on March 19 at Methodist Medical Center. He was 98 years old.

Paul was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 70 years—Eleanor—just one year ago.

Born in New York in 1915 to Russian Jewish immigrants Jacob and Frieda Agronovich (later Agronow), Paul was brought up in Brooklyn and Queens along with his five younger siblings, two sisters, and three brothers. His parents spoke Yiddish at home, and Paul (“Abe”) learned to speak English by playing stickball in the street with the neighborhood children.

He later earned his bachelor’s degree and his master’s degree in chemistry from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute of New York University, and he was awarded an honorary Ph.D.

He married his sweetheart, Eleanor Podell, in 1942. Also during World War II, he worked on the Manhattan Project in New York and, when it ended, was the person who literally turned out the lights and closed the door—the last scientist out of the building.

Not long after the birth of Paul and Eleanor’s first son, Michael, the Agrons moved to Oak Ridge (1949), where Paul worked as a chemist in the lab at X-10. In Oak Ridge, they had two more sons, Leslie and David.

Eleanor and Paul were founding members of the Jewish Congregation in their new city.

In addition to his work, Paul also enjoyed photography, reading, playing cards, attending synagogue, visiting with relatives from around the nation, and he loved to travel the world with Eleanor

Paul will be greatly missed by his three sons, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, his surviving younger siblings Ben and Ruth, his many nieces and nephews, his daughters-in-law, and many, many friends.

His celebration of life will be held at Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home on Thursday, March 21, at 3 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Online messages for the family may be left at www.martinfuneralhomeoakridge.com.