Several short-term jobs later, he took a job with NASA as an electronics engineer. At the time of his death, Paddock was in the middle of many projects. He was the treasurer for the Palo Alto Barron Park Association, a police volunteer, had just completed a course at the Palo Alto Citizens Police Academy and was well-known in Palo Alto for his efforts to make the best use of amateur radio in emergencies of all kinds. His most recent project along those lines was getting two-meter antenna drops installed at six daycare centers in Palo Alto. He had just received permission to install those antennas and was setting about acquiring the hardware and people to do the installation.
Paddock leaves behind a wife, a daughter and three sons.
Memorial services were conducted on Aug. 11 in Palo Alto.