Paul was born in Chicago on the evening of Sept. 25, 1959, to James and Diane Gafner. The family lived briefly in Kansas City, Missouri, before settling in Southern California. Paul’s time in Kansas City proved influential – he loved the sense of freedom and the wide-open prairie. Paul was a free spirit at heart and lived his life fully and wholeheartedly.
Paul met the love of his life, Mary, in 1984; they married in 1987 on July 4th. They built their life together and raised their two children, Cara and Nolan, in Tustin. Paul was a born performer who took to the stage early in life, tying for first place in the 1977 Shakespeare Festival for his performance from Henry V. Paul continued his work in the arts with stage and voice acting before beginning a career in public works for the city of Anaheim’s water operations department. Paul was deeply committed to public health and environmental sustainability through water conservation and management. Paul retired in December 2020 and looked forward to reconnecting with his love of nature through surfing, which he picked up at the age of 60, music, and spending time with his family. Paul’s greatest legacy is in making people laugh and feel at ease – no one was a stranger and all felt his warmth and compassion.
In late 2021, Paul was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He fought hard and endured longer than most with this diagnosis. His wife and family were by his side throughout this ordeal. Paul is survived by his wife of 35 years, Mary Gafner; their two children, Cara Gafner and Nolan Gafner; his father, James Gafner; and his siblings, Geralyn Lloyd, Jolene Cherney, Eric Gafner, and Jay Gafner.
Fairhaven Mortuary has helped with his final wishes and arrangements. A celebration of Paul’s life will be held on Sunday, June 5, 2022 at his home in Tustin, CA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer Awareness, an organization dedicated to finding better outcomes for people affected by this disease.
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