Paul L Achilles

Paul L. Achilles, 66, Lyman New Hampshire, died June 14, 2017, near his home in Lyman NH. He was born on February 22, 1951 in Barnet, VT to Mildred Evelyn (Campbell) and Bernard Elwin Achilles. He grew up in Barnet, Groton, and Barre Vermont, attended local schools and married Auralie Marie Aldrich June 26, 1971 at the South Ryegate Presbyterian Church in Vermont. As an adult he lived in South Ryegate, Willoughby Lake, and Brattleboro Vermont before moving to Lyman, New Hampshire.

Paul worked in factories in Littleton and Lisbon for a brief while after being married but decided that his heart was not in it. He then bought a spud driller from Ernest Aldrich, and began drilling artesian wells. He worked drilling wells with his father-in-law Myron Aldrich and later with his brother Roy Achilles. Spud drilling was a slow and laborious way to drill artesian wells and it was soon crowded out by rotary drillers. Paul decided to become a technician for Eastern Artificial Insemination where he worked as a relief technician covering from the Canadian Border to Thetford Vt. It was during this time period that he felt that he could not afford to purchase a home so decided to build his own. He purchased cedar logs off his brother Roy, who was logging at the time, and bought an Alaskan Saw Mill which was just an attachment he put on a chain saw. With the logs, the Alaskan Saw Mill, and no real experience in house building he, with the help of his brothers, brothers by marriage, and friends, put up a small log cabin on Aldrich Road in Lyman, NH. Little did he know that this was just the beginning of a way of life for him. Since that time he has built another home for himself and his wife, a spec house, and a large double log cabin at Ogontz camp. He assisted his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Kim and Lurette Lyndes, to build their log cabin home right down the road from his own first cabin. He was also contracted to build another home from scratch in Lyman, NH as well as build several garages, out buildings, and do repairs on old barns in Lyman and several surrounding towns. He was hired to build a log cabin in Lyman New Hampshire for Jeff Towle, with whom he soon developed a heartfelt friendship. Paul had the pleasure of assisting on another log cabin for his friends Todd and Cathy Lemieux of Errol New Hampshire. He worked with and for good friends and still talked of that experience with great fondness. The building that had the most sentimental value of all was the smallest of buildings, a chicken coop for his mother-in-law Della Mae Aldrich. Around the time of her death that building was moved from her property to his own and to this day it sits behind his second log cabin in Lyman, NH. He also had his own logging business, Achilles Logging, and later bought a Mack Truck he called “Old Blue”. With Old Blue he started Achilles Trucking and a new era of hauling and dirt work. In March of this year at age 66 he retired but was still doing some hauling of gravel on and off up until the time of his death. Paul served his community as the last Constable for the Town of Lyman as well as serving as a Selectman. Paul’s true pleasure in life was helping others and he had recently rediscovered his love for fishing.

Paul is survived by his wife Auralie Achilles, of Lyman NH, step-father Robert Chamberlin of Brattleboro Vermont, brother George Achilles and wife Linda of Lyman New Hampshire, Sister Hazel LaValley and husband Jimmy previously of Brattleboro Vermont, and Mildred Green of Bellows Falls, Vermont. Although Paul did not have any biological children his surrogate children were his many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great great nieces and nephews plus the children of special friends whom he loved dearly. Among those he leaves behind are numerous friends that Paul has made over the course of his lifetime and his current loves his dogs Pip and Abbie, cat Smokey and his “shared” Yorkie Tess. He is predeceased by his mother Mildred Campbell Chamberlin, his brother Bernard Achilles, and his brother Roy Achilles, and by special loves of his life, his dogs, Della, Mollie, and Sadie.

There will be a Celebration of Paul’s Life at The Pole Barn, 27 Weymouth Road Lyman NH, on Saturday June 24th at 1 pm. All are welcome There will be a pig roast since as we all know a pig roast was one of the great pleasures in Paul’s life. Feel free to bring a dish and any pictures of Paul that you would like to share. You may also wish to bring a folding chair. Those who choose to honor Paul’s memory with a donation may do so by making a donation to any animal shelter of your choice. A heartfelt thank you to Dale Colby, Wilfred Paye, Steve Santy, Jeff Towle and Scott Newton. You will never know how much you meant to Paul.

 Service Information