Paul grew up in Fort Smith and graduated from Fort Smith High School and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. His career, as an insurance claims adjuster, took him and his young family to the Kansas City area where he loved to cheer on the Chiefs and the Royals. It also allowed him access to what became his passion in life: bird hunting. In the early 80’s, Paul and his family returned to Fort Smith where he owned his own business, Fort Smith Claims Service LLC. After retiring, he split his time between Fort Smith and Eagle Rock, MO where the Table Rock Lake crappie learned to fear him. During hunting season, if he wasn’t driving the dirt roads or walking through fields of milo in eastern Kansas or Oklahoma looking for pheasants, he was talking to his buddies about the next time they could go. Paul was a faithful member of Holiday Island Baptist Church and attended East Side Baptist Church when in Fort Smith.
Paul is survived by Barbara, his wife of 57 years; his children, Stephen Liles and his wife Angel of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Jennifer and her husband Robert Klemple of Centerton, Arkansas and Kathy and her husband Kirk Dodd of Fort Smith; grandchildren, Zachary, Rebecca, Savannah, Evan, and Andrew; step grandchildren, Dewalt, Drake, Sky and Channah; and his brother, Michael Liles and his wife Jo Ann of Rockwall, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Graveside services will be 11:00am Monday, February 17, 2020 at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith. The family will greet friends from 2:00 to 4:00pm Sunday, February 16, 2020 at Edwards Funeral Home. Arrangements are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.
Honorary pallbearers will be Danny Bailey, Jim Shepard, Terry Geren, Chris Doyel, Scott Blair, Tim Goodman, Tommy Fowler, James Burwinkle, Curtis Ray, Barry Kincannon, Bruce Fox, Allen Bowles, Rodney Hern, Jonathan Feiffer, Gary McCurdy, the late Virgil Windler and the late Ralph Roberts.
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