Paul Ronald Fine

Paul Ronald Fine passed away on February 3, 2026, in Easton, Maryland, after a half-century career as a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. For more than five decades, he told stories that mattered, giving voice to people the world might otherwise never have seen or heard. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1945, to Nate and Rita Fine, Paul was introduced to a camera by his father, Nate Fine, the official photographer for the Washington Redskins for 50 years. By sixteen, Paul was on the sidelines photographing the games and working alongside his father. Those early years instilled in Paul both a love for the beauty of the game and an understanding that the best images capture not just action, but humanity. At 20, Paul moved into motion pictures as a news cameraman for the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. (now WJLA). There he met Holly DeLisio, and they instantly became "Paul-and-Holly", a single word, a singular force. For 40 years, they worked together both as producers and Paul as cinematographer and Holly as editor. The Fines’ talent quickly took them from local news to the national stage. They went on to create groundbreaking documentaries and specials for CBS, where their work on "60 Minutes" produced sensitive portraits of everyone from AIDS nurses to Barbara Streisand, from homeless activists Mitch Snyder to Chris Rock. They also produced hard-hitting work for CBS Reports, including a 3-hour special on violence, "In the Killing Fields of America." At ABC News/Nightline, they produced "The Survivors" for ABC/Nightline, a moving documentary about two people severely burned at the Pentagon on 9/11. The accolades were extraordinary: four George Foster Peabody Awards (including a lifetime achievement award), 80 Emmys, the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award, four-time White House News Photographer of the Year, Ohio State Award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. But for Paul it was not about awards—it was about the people in his work. When Washington D.C.'s Engine Company 16 gave him a firefighter's helmet after he finished the documentary "We're No Heroes," he said simply, "That was the best award I ever received." His images always did the talking. He responded to the human side of every story with no thought for prestige—only for truth and dignity. In 1997, Paul was diagnosed with a progressive motor neuron disease. He and Holly put their career on hold and moved full-time to Maryland's Eastern Shore where he fought to keep living fully. His love for the Chesapeake Bay ran deep, whether he was casting a line or simply photographing the sunsets over the water, he found peace on The Bay. Paul was also an extraordinary mentor and believed that the most important work we can do begins with listening. Paying attention to others, truly caring about their lives, their struggles and their dignity, is both demanding and essential. He knew that compassion can be painful, but he believed it is what makes us human. In that belief, he leaves us with a challenge worth carrying forward. Paul is survived by his wife and lifelong partner, Holly, his sons Bryce Fine and Sean Fine, his daughter-in-law Andrea Nix Fine, and his beloved grandsons Aidan and Roan Fine, who continue his legacy of creativity. A celebration of Paul's life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Baywater Animal Rescue, 4730 Bucktown Rd., Cambridge, MD 21613.

Paul Ronald Fine

September 26, 1945 - February 3, 2026