Paul was born on March 27, 1926, in Rockville Centre, New York, the only child of Edith Topp Andersen and Paul Koefoed Andersen. After his father’s death in 1930, he and his mother returned to her hometown of Kimballton, Iowa, a community founded by Danish immigrants. He grew up on a nearby farm with his mother, stepfather Morten Nelsen, stepsister Fern Nelsen, and stepbrother Lloyd Nelsen. Paul was an excellent student at the rural schools he attended. He later said life on the farm was difficult, but it gave him skills he used throughout his life. He and Lloyd formed a lifelong close tie.
After graduating as salutatorian from Audubon High School, he enlisted in the Navy where he qualified for training to become an electronics specialist. When WWII ended, he enrolled in the electrical engineering program at Iowa State University and earned his degree in 1950. He told the college’s placement office he wanted to work “anywhere but the South” but agreed to an interview in Baton Rouge at Humble Oil (now ExxonMobil). That March trip from snowy Iowa convinced him that moving to a place with friendly people, good food, and year-round tennis might be alright. He accepted the job offer and never regretted moving to the South.
In the spring of 1951, Paul met Clara Agnes Stuart on a blind date and was immediately captivated by her beauty, charm, and intelligence. For the rest of his life, he carried with him—first in his wallet and then on his iPhone—a photograph of her taken soon after they met. They married on September 15, 1951. The Stuarts welcomed him warmly into their large family. He often said his marriage to Clara and the family they created were his proudest accomplishments. They enjoyed good times with family and friends and shared interests in tennis and travel. In 1986, Paul converted to Catholicism, joining Clara at St. Aloysius Church. For 20 years they volunteered as peer counselors for Retrouvaille, a program to help couples struggling with their marriage. It was a shared experience they later said strengthened their own marriage.
Paul’s career at Exxon lasted more than 30 years, culminating in his appointment as a Senior Engineering Associate, the company’s highest technical rank. His son-in-law, who began his engineering career at Exxon, remembers that when anyone had a difficult technical problem involving instruments, the first call for help was to “PK” Andersen.
An avid tennis player since college, Paul continued playing regularly into his 90s at Bocage Raquet Club, where he was a member since 1967.
Paul’s home improvement and repair skills were legendary. Enlisting his children as helpers on projects, he shared his knowledge and instilled in them his values of hard work and persistence. He was an early adopter of computers and email, joining his grandchildren in their enthusiasm for the latest new device. In retirement, he applied his building skills to volunteer work for the Baton Rouge Federation of Churches and Synagogues.
In his later years, he faced the challenges of physical decline with courage and determination. He looked back on his life with gratitude for the gift of family, especially having Clara with him for 70 years of marriage.
In addition to his wife, Paul is survived by three children and their spouses: Kathleen Stuart Andersen (Daniel M. Fox), Richard Paul Andersen (Martha Hebert Andersen), Susan Andersen Staub (Jack Gerard Staub); six grandchildren: Richard Gerard Staub (Susan Butler Staub), Lisa Pauline Andersen Allen (Gerald Allen), Lauren Staub Buras (Benny Buras), Richard Paul Andersen, Jr. (Erin Rooney), Thomas Alan Staub, Elizabeth Andersen Staub; and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather, stepsister, and stepbrother. The family is enormously grateful to the staff at St. James Place for their kindness and care.
Visitation will be on Friday, May 27, 2022, at St. Aloysius Church, 2025 Stuart Ave., from 10 a.m. until the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Friends and family are invited to a reception in the church hall at noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Paul Koefoed Andersen to St. Aloysius Church or to a favorite charity.
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