International Community Health Services (ICHS) mourns Paul Mar’s passing. He was our colleague, our friend, and our mentor in our organization’s largest capital campaign to date, Aging in PACE Washington (AiPACE). He believed firmly in this project’s purpose of providing culturally-responsive elder care.

"All of us extend our deepest gratitude to Paul for all that he's done," said Kelli Nomura, ICHS CEO. "He was deeply passionate about serving our communities. His visionary leadership and commitment to the C-ID will always inspire us."

Paul served as AiPACE capital campaign committee co-chair from the campaign’s launch in 2015 to right up to his passing.

AiPACE is ICHS’ campaign to build and operate a new PACE senior care facility in Beacon Hill, Seattle. PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a nationally-recognized model of care that enables low-income, nursing-home eligible adults to live independently with the support of comprehensive medical and social services.

Ron Chew, former ICHS Foundation Executive Director, said, “Paul knew the value of embracing a health care model that allows frail AANHPI seniors to stay in their homes and remain a vital part of their neighborhoods. With AiPACE, he was right there from the start, when we began exploring possible sites for the facility all the way through to the fundraising.”

“He was one of the biggest advocates for the $25 million capital campaign,” said Christine Consolacion, ICHS Foundation Manager. Even after he lost his vision and his health began to decline, he cheerfully hosted and led committee meetings at his senior living facility, strategizing about how to market the campaign and potential donors to recruit to the cause.

The AiPACE facility will be located on the ground floor of the Beacon Pacific Village project, being developed and managed by ICHS’ partner organization, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda), where Paul served as Director of Real Estate Development and board of director for many years.

The new facility will expand ICHS’ PACE program and capacity to serve seniors from across King County. The program provides all of the care, support, and critical activities that elders need, without having to move them to nursing homes. Elders would remain in their home and community, being able to access health services at the AiPACE facility from an integrated care team.

Having worked in the CID for most of his life, he understood the challenges that AANHPI seniors faced in accessing health services, living healthy lives, and aging in their community. He was passionate about expanding community services that provide care that is culturally and linguistically responsive to Seattle’s AANHPI seniors. He said himself in a 2016 interview, “the PACE program is near and dear to my heart because it serves the elderly through health care and is a much needed service in the community.”