Paul MacLeavy, a former drainage engineer who reinvented himself as a beloved professional magician in his later years, has died at the age of 78.
A Magical Second Act
For decades, magic was a passionate hobby for Paul while he worked in local government. This all changed in 1996, when he was made redundant from his role as a drainage engineer for Woodspring District Council. Rather than seeing this as a setback, Paul seized the opportunity to turn his lifelong passion into a full-time profession. He had been a member of the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians for over 50 years.
His magical career took him to various stages across north Somerset, including heartwarming performances in hospitals and on respite holidays organised by the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline Project. One of his most notable engagements was performing at the 2012 wedding of actor and comedian James Corden.
From Jamaica to the UK
Paul's journey began far from the stages of Somerset. He was born David Paul MacLeavy in Mandeville, Jamaica, the eldest child of Basil and Vera MacLeavy. He spent his early years at the Moravian teacher training college in Bethlehem, where his parents worked. At the age of five, a family friend's son also named David came to live with them, leading to the decision for him to be known by his middle name, Paul, for the rest of his life.
At 13, he was sent to Britain to attend Fulneck School in Pudsey, Yorkshire, as a boarder. He often spoke of the shock of the cold winters, longing for Caribbean sunshine. His parents remained in Jamaica, visiting every four years, so school holidays were spent with grandparents in South Shields and Bristol.
Engineering, Family, and Magic
After A-levels in Bristol, Paul moved to London to study land surveying at Walthamstow Technical College from 1965 to 1969, funding his studies with labouring jobs. In 1970, he began his career as a drainage engineer at Bristol Corporation. On his very first day, he met secretary Frances Drake; they married in 1975 and settled in Backwell, north Somerset.
Tragedy struck when Frances died in 1988, leaving Paul to balance his career and magic with solo fatherhood. Following his redundancy nearly a decade later, he cleverly merged his engineering knowledge with his craft, pitching an educational magic show about the water cycle to Wessex Water, which the company adopted for schools.
Beyond magic, Paul was a keen footballer who played well into his 50s, a keen traveller, and a devoted grandfather who cherished coffee, cake, and long conversations with friends.
He is survived by his children, Richard and his sibling, his three grandchildren Cillian, Darragh, and Aisling, and his brothers Martin and Robin.
