Paul Edward Maynard

Paul Edward Maynard, age 87, of Greenville, DE, passed away suddenly at his home on Monday, April 30, 2018.

Born in Arlington, MA, Paul E. Maynard was the youngest son of the late Leodore E. and Alice A. (Mogé) Maynard.  After graduating from Belmont High School in 1948, he moved to Acton, MA and worked as a horticultural correspondent for the noted botany firm of Joseph Breck & Sons in Boston, MA. Mr. Maynard served in the United States Air Force from 1951 through 1955 and was based in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, earning a Good Conduct medal and a National Defense Service medal. He continued in the Air Force Reserves until 1959. Through his love of horses, he became involved with the equestrian program while a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, from which he graduated in 1960 with a BS in Landscape Architecture.
In the early 1960s, Mr. Maynard opened a landscape architecture firm in Connecticut. He designed horticultural projects in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland, including the grounds of the Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, CT. In 1965, Mr. Maynard relocated his firm to the Brandywine Valley, with the design for the Columbia Gas Works in Greenville, DE among the projects of which he was most proud. In the 1970’s he leveraged his passion for antiques and extensive knowledge of the decorative arts to launch Period Antiques, which operated from his shop on Kennett Pike in Fairville, PA for decades. Specializing in early American and English silver, Mr. Maynard also conducted appraisals on furniture and paintings, and thoroughly enjoyed hunting for “just the right piece” to augment numerous private and museum collections with his keen eye and expert advice. Mr. Maynard remained active until the end of his life and could be found daily in his former shop on Kennett Pike. He was well respected in the community and was very generous with his time and advice to other dealers and collectors, especially those new to the field.

Mr. Maynard is survived by a nephew, Allen M. Maynard of Massachusetts, and two nieces: Susan Greco of Massachusetts and Carol Wilson of Maryland, as well as eight grandnephews and two grandnieces.  He was predeceased by three brothers: Donald J., Allen H. , and John D. Maynard.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine Church, 10 Old Church Rd, Greenville, DE 19807, on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 10:30am. Interment will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, c/o Development, 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735.