Paul Joseph Wickliff, a CPA who had a passion for pit bulls, died unexpectedly Oct. 23. He was 51.
Preliminary findings are that he suffered a stroke in his sleep and did not wake up from it, said Joe Wickliff, 49, his brother.
Wickliff was a CPA who owned Wickliff & Associates in Chicago, and lived in the Ravenswood neighborhood. He was single, openly gay and served the Lakeview community, including many clients from the LGBT community, said Joe Micci, a friend of Wickliff. "Paul helped everyone with their tax issues many times at a reduced cost for those who could not afford [to pay] full rates."
Wickliff was involved in the Chicago Pit Bull Rescue Organization, having rescued three pit bulls himself, including his two current dogs, Harper and Leo. "Any client who walked into Paul's office during tax season would be greeted by both dogs at the door, which surprised only those who did not know Paul," Micci said.
Wickliff will be remembered by many as a participant in an annual camping trip to Camp-It in Michigan with other gay friends, "where Paul would morph into several characters from assorted musicals and movies much to the amusement of his friends," Micci said. "Paul had a sharp and witty smart sense of humor; he said some of the funniest things I've ever heard," Micci said.
Joe Wickliff said his brother "was so funny, so quick … I always wished to be the artist and as funny as he was," Wickliff said. "He was one of a kind, with such a free spirit. He donated to a lot of organizations in the gay community."
The Wickliff brothers moved to Chicago in 1993 from Indianapolis, and were roommates for about 10 years. "We were like the gay Laverne & Shirley," said Joe Wickliff, 49, who lives in the Bucktown neighborhood and is partnered to Michael Glick for 16 years.
"Paul and I loved really bad movies, and a rite of passage for friends and potential boyfriends was having to watch 'Elvira, Mistress of the Dark,' ( a 1988 comedy horror film ), while we recited every line in the movie from beginning to end."
Joe Wickliff said he and Paul nicknamed each other Nettie and Celie from The Color Purple.
The family asked that donations in Wickliff's memory be made to www.Chicagopitbullrescue.org .