Paul Lombardi Jr., an industry titan known both for his gourmet cooking and for giving back to the industry long after his career faded to semi-retirement, died New Year’s Day. He was 82.
Formerly CEO of DynCorp, Lombardi helped grow the company from an $800 million business to one valued at $2.4 billion by the time it sold in 2003. His influence touched many. Mac Curtis, chairman of the board at Cubic Corp., described Lombardi as a boss, mentor, advisor/board member and friend for almost 40 years.
“His counsel, advice and sharing his ‘lessons learned’ were invaluable to me and had a profound impact on my career,” Curtis said. “In all settings, his opinion mattered because it was direct, thoughtful and positively delivered to address the situation at hand.”
Lombardi’s son, Paul V. Lombardi III who is CEO of Cerulean LLC, wrote in a LinkedIn tribute that his father was a “brilliant leader,” industry titan and “a pillar of his community.”
“He was deeply loved and had a profound impact on so many lives professionally and personally,” Paul V. Lombardi III wrote. “Most importantly, he was a caring and devoted husband, and a proud father and grandfather.”
Lombardi retired in 2003 but stayed active. He was a senior advisor for the Northern Virginia Technology Council, on NCI, Inc.’s board, and mentored many people. He also chaired the Professional Services Council for a while.
Stan Soloway, president and CEO of Celero Strategies, said Lombardi was the reason he came to the PSC.
“Paul was a dear friend, a mentor and a great leader in our industry,” Soloway said. “For my entire 15 years at the PSC, he was a constant and reliable source of sound advice, support and counsel. Moreover, he was always willing to roll up his sleeves and put energy and action behind his words. All of that combined with his warmth and sense of humor formed the foundation of a longstanding and deeply cherished friendship.”
In 2015, Lombardi was inducted into the Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards Hall of Fame. Before entering the private sector, Lombardi worked for 17 years in the public sector and held executive positions in the Defense Department and the Energy Department.
In an interview in 2015, Lombardi told WashingtonExec he had had four bosses throughout his career who served as his mentors.
“Cumulatively, they instilled in me that you have to work smart,” Lombardi said. “. . . You have to surround yourself with excellent human resource talent who are smarter than you. And I was lucky enough to do that.”
Lombardi went on to describe the importance of always thinking in terms of performance for customers. But Curtis noted Lombardi’s reputation advanced beyond business matters.
“His reputation is beyond reproach because he was driven to always do the right thing, regardless of the outcome,” Curtis said. “He is deserving to be referred to as a ‘titan’ in our industry.”
According to his obituary, he was the first in his family to attend college, studying mechanical engineering at State University of New York, Maritime College. He and his wife, Trudy, married in 1970 and had two children – Paul III and Cara Lombardi.
Lombardi loved his family deeply and enjoyed cooking gourmet meals for them and playing the piano at holiday gatherings.
He is survived by his wife and children, their spouses, four grandchildren, his brother and sisters in-law, and nieces and nephews.
A funeral mass will be held Jan. 19 at 11 a.m. at St. John Neumann Catholic Church. The family requests flowers and donations be sent to the church. In lieu of flowers, donations can also be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.