Douglas Paulson

In loving memory of J. Douglas Paulson, who passed away peacefully on the evening of October 2, 2020. First and foremost, Doug was a great husband, father, and grandfather. He was always willing to drop anything he was doing at any given moment to help any of us, without hesitation. He was a unique individual that showed love toward his family and others by his actions, deeds, and words.

Doug was a man with many hidden talents. A master gardener, landscaper, leatherworker, writer/editor, genealogist, electrician/plumber/handyman, photographer, fisherman, and book repair genius to name a few. He spent countless hours researching our rich family history and was always proud to share a story or two of his Mormon Pioneer heritage.

He married Norma on October 16, 1959 for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City LDS temple, and celebrated more than 60 years of marriage together. They raised three children and lived in several different states throughout the U.S. including California, Nevada, Maryland, Utah, and Texas.

He enjoyed life to the fullest. A savvy connoisseur of anything edible, Doug especially enjoyed a good steak, dark chocolate, Tabasco sauce, and anything with a strong flavor that was pickled, brined, and/or generally weird. Let us not forget his love of butter. It was not uncommon to see him slather 1-2 tablespoons of butter on to a homemade cinnamon roll. “Darn hard butter!” was a commonly uttered phrase when buttering his already buttered (melted) toast. Smiling, he would sarcastically say, “You have to put it on so thick!”

Doug served an honorable full-time two-and-a-half-year mission for the LDS church in Finland from 1955-1958. After his mission, he maintained his written and spoken Finnish language skills, and was a certified translator for the Social Security Administration offices where he worked during his 30-year career in public service. He graduated with his BA in Political Science from the University of California Berkeley in 1961. He was Eagle Scout, a member of Order of the Arrow, and had completed Wood Badge training.

Doug loved reading books, especially Westerns and anything science fiction. He loved libraries and volunteered countless hours at public and university libraries. After his retirement, he worked part time at the library at Dixie College in St. George, UT, mending and repairing worn and torn books. He was very protective of libraries, and you could say he considered them “hallowed ground.” It was not uncommon for him to read 5-10 books in any given week. He also enjoyed reading books to his children and grandchildren.

He had an immense respect for nature, the great outdoors, and historical sites. “Always leave your camp better than the way you found it,” was a motto he lived by. Family road trips to visit relatives always took longer due to taking the scenic route, stopping at a monument, or driving 10 hours out of the way to visit a national landmark or Wall Drug. “Hour, hour-and-a-half” followed by a grin and an audible, wrinkled-nose [sniff!] was the gold-standard answer when we would incessantly ask, “How much longer?!” Whether it was 15 minutes or 15 hours, this was the answer. Every time.

The tomatoes, apricots, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, pomegranates, figs, and lemons produced by Doug’s hard work in the garden were second to none. Creating perfectly balanced soils, drip irrigation systems, and raised garden beds were a talent that he acquired through hours of study and hard work. His expert tree and rose-bush pruning skills were legendary.

We’ll miss you, Doug/Dad/Grampa. May you rest in peace and find comfort in knowing that you are loved, respected, and missed. Your lessons were not lost on us. Thank you for all the great memories and teaching moments. We’ll plant a fig tree for you and remember you always.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020

10:00 A.M.

BANDERA CEMETERY

525 RANCH ROAD 689

BANDERA, TEXAS