Paul Scoma

Paul was born Nov. 14, 1952, in LaSalle to Charles and Anne (Kump) Scoma. He married Nancy Forgus May 5, 1979, in the Kent State University Newman Center Chapel in Kent, Ohio. She survives.

Paul graduated from LaSalle-Peru High School in 1970 and continued his education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, graduating in 1974. He was subsequently hired by Union Oil Co. of California in marketing and worked there for five years until 1979 when he enrolled in law school. Paul received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in Chicago in May 1982. He elected to begin his law career near his hometown with the Princeton law firm now known as Russell, English, Scoma and Beneke, PC, where he became a partner and practiced for 28 years until his retirement at the end of 2010.

He was an active member of St. Louis Catholic Church, where he served as a trustee and lector. He was a trustee and board president for the Adeline E. Prouty Charitable Trust (Greenfield Retirement Home). Paul also served as director and board chairman for the Perry Memorial Hospital. He was a member of the Illinois State and Bureau County Bar Associations as well as the Knights of Columbus.

Paul is survived by his wife of 33 years, Nancy Scoma of Princeton; two sons, Christopher P. Scoma of Nashville, Tenn., and Jeffrey Scoma of Chicago; three brothers, Charles (Betty) Scoma of LaSalle, Francis (Mary) Scoma of LaSalle and  Gerald (Sally) Scoma of Peru; many special nieces, Vickie Scoma of LaSalle, Kris (Tom) Galbreath of Chicago, Sue (Mike) Carter of LaSalle, Diane Scoma of Utica, Leonora (Mark) Anning of Tonica and Marietta (Dan) Skerston of Pingree Grove, two nephews, James (Jennifer) Scoma of Peru and Ted (Sandy) Scoma of Bloomington, as well as Christine Forgus of Ohio, Erica (Markus) Forgus-Leu of Switzerland, Allison (Steve) Boice of Colorado and Steve Forgus of Florida.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his two dogs, Belle and Sammy.