Paul Edward Maccosbe

Paul MacCosbe, devoted husband and father of two, passed away Saturday night, August 29, 2020 after complications from a stroke. He was 65 years old.

Paul was born on September 22, 1954 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the youngest twin sibling in a family of six. He grew up in the Shaler township area of Pittsburgh and enjoyed racing dirt bikes, being on the wrestling team, and playing the saxophone in rock bands as well as his high school marching band. The son of an engineer, Paul brought his analytical mind to medicine and chose a career in pharmacy.

Paul began Pharmacy school in 1972 at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, earning numerous awards and honors and graduating in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. He then completed a Doctor of Pharmacy in Hospital Pharmacy from Duquesne University in 1979 where he was a member of the Rho Chi Honor Society.

Paul began his career as an assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at Rutgers College of Pharmacy in New Jersey but quickly found his professional passion in clinical research. He spent most of his career in Research Triangle Park (RTP) working with Glaxo, GlaxoWellcome and GlaxoSmithKline for 28 years. During his extensive career in RTP, he oversaw the development of new drugs and participated in clinical research management, business analysis, market and health outcomes research and as a field medical liaison. He provided oversight and innovations in pharmacy to several therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, antiviral, pulmonary and the central nervous system. In 1986, Paul was elected Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology. He retired as the Regional Scientific Director of Oncology at Novartis Oncology in 2016.

Paul met his wife Laura in their freshman English class at the University of Pittsburgh and they were married in 1977. When their sons were old enough to join the Scouts, Paul became active as a scout leader and joined his sons on numerous camping and backpacking outings including to the Weminuche Wilderness area of Colorado and Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. He continued to play the saxophone into his adult life and could often be found in the evenings playing the straight soprano saxophone along with his Kenny G albums. After his retirement, Paul took a course through America’s Boating Club and became an enthusiastic sailor on his 17.5 foot cat boat the “PURR-fect.” He also became an avid hiker and world traveler, most recently completing a chartered trip to Antarctica with his wife Laura in the fall of 2019.

Paul is survived by his wife of 43 years, Laura, his sons Daniel and Nathan, sisters Elaine Reppel and Carol Gregory and brother George MacCosbe. He is preceded in death by parents Dorothy and Emanuel MacCosbe and sisters Diane Hrach and Alice Distefano.

The MacCosbe is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, Durham, NC.