CDR Paul M. Warr , Ret.

CDR Paul M. Warr, Ret. was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Paul was born on March 4, 1944 at Northeast Hospital in Jackson County, Kansas City, Missouri. His father was Walter Wayne Warr, a portrait painter, a dreamer and, as described by Wayne’s sister, “an eccentric genius” who taught Paul to read before he entered school. His mother, Helen Louise Cole Warr, was practical, down to earth, and hard working, with a deep love and loyalty toward her children. She imbued in them a confidence that they would make wise decisions and supported the decisions they made. From this unlikely combination came a man with high ideals and a vision for his future plus the grit and determination to achieve success. Paul was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Poulan Georgia. He grew up self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Warr household was a bit different than most homes and eventually there was a parting of the ways for his parents. That brought a fair share of challenges but there were also many good times to be had. However, Paul was able to work through the family problems as they appeared, and he came through it with balance, good judgment and an enduring sense of humor. Paul was raised with one younger sister, Lucy Ianne Warr. They were close, enjoyed each others company most of the time, and danced in a local dance troupe for children together. As they grew Paul was always protective and consistently loyal to his family with a deep devotion for his mother.

As a young child, Paul was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Paul developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing, he did well. He was always generous and more outgoing than his sister. As he grew older Paul played touch football with friends, enjoyed bike riding and going to movies; but in quiet times, which were many, he could be found reading a book. As a young teen he was president of the local Methodist Youth Fellowship and the Brookside Jr. High Band. He was a stupendous big brother who encouraged his sister to tag along on many of his adventures. Paul excelled in school without a great deal of effort.

Probably due to a move early in high school, as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood, his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Paul as being a more quiet person than he really was. Even so he managed to have a great time at the high school dances, practicing up with his sister beforehand. He began at Sarasota High School in Florida but graduated from Worth County High, Sylvester, Georgia, in 1962. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. He lettered in Circus playing the tuba at Sarasota High (Sarasota was the home of Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus) and lettered in band at Worth County High. Paul was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Paul always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to master most problems easily.

Paul entered the Navy not long after high school graduation and quickly found it to be a good fit. His naval career began with Boot camp at Great Lakes Recruit Training Center after which he became an electrical technician onboard naval aircraft where he developed a love for being in the air.

The Navy, seeing the potential in this bright, young enlisted man opened the door for him to attend college. He became a student at Auburn (NROTCU) and upon graduation became an officer. College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Paul handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Paul was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Paul was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed those who were around him. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Paul well during his college experience. He earned his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama on December 10, 1971. Later he tackled a Master's Degree in Under Water Acoustics at the United States Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, CA. There, while attending college for his advanced studies, he found time to coach Little League and umpire for his two daughters.

His non-academic duties began after his graduation from Auburn with a move to Pensacola to train with jets. From there he was transferred to helicopters. He loved flying but eventually was promoted to a desk job where he worked in support staff for U. S. Special Ops Command. Paul strived to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Paul greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Paul enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Paul was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next.

He had many homes while in the Navy—Great Lakes, IL; Memphis, TN; Brunswick, Maine; Roosevelt Road, Puerto Rico; Auburn, AL; Pensacola, FL; Quonset Point, RI; Jacksonville, FL; Monterey, CA; Patuxent River, Maryland; New Port, RI; Tampa Bay, FL; Orlando, FL as well as extensive travel to Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Much of his naval efforts were focused on the Cold War. Through his hard work and dedication, he was promoted to Commander. He received praise for his character and his valor by being awarded the National Defense Service Medal with star, First and Second Good Conduct Awards, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with Star. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Paul seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

On December 27, 1980 Paul exchanged wedding vows with Nina Mary Eunice at the United States Marine Base Chapel of Albany, Georgia. Compassionate and devoted to Nina, Paul held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Nina and he worked hard to provide well and make his new enlarged family happy. Nina Mary became a strong asset to his career and a wonderful mother to his two daughters.

Paul brought strong, traditional values to his marriage and parenting. He was a devoted father, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He was consistent in discipline and would listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even during frustrating situations. Paul was also a “walking schedule”, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Paul was blessed with three children, two daughters, Grace and Rochelle and one son, Travis. They were also blessed with eight grandchildren, Brandon, Kaitlin, Nina, Karlee, Shannah, Ky, Cody, Isaac.

Paul was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. He disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation. He took his time making friends but once committed he was loyal and steadfast. He valued those friendships highly. It was not uncommon for Paul to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. In his early teens one such friend was a tall, thin lanky boy named "Cappy". Along with another buddy (and sometimes a canal swimming cat), they explored the beaches, canals and open areas near his home in Sarasota. In his mature years his best friend, Gerald Greer, became like a brother. Gerry shared holidays and good times with him as well as being a strong support during the death of Paul’s stepfather, Rufus, whom Paul had grown to love.

Paul liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. He enjoyed his private time and spent it reading, teaching himself to be a first rate amateur chef, playing trivia, trying to beat his sister at Scrabble, volunteering on neighborhood watch, dancing and spoiling his grandchildren.

Paul found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Auburn football, Tampa Bay Rays baseball and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Paul was active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Paul preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Paul was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Paul was a member of several community groups, including Little League Coach and Umpire and Neighborhood Watch. Politically, CDR Paul Warr was an avid Republican.

Paul sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Paul many accolades for his efforts and achievements. This included many letters of recognition during his naval career and at SEMCOR as a Department of Defense Contractor along with Best Dad and Grandpa Awards from his family.

Paul enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Paul appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Paul always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included a camping trip to Lake Roosevelt in Washington State, a trip to the Grand Canyon, and two cross country tours while moving, a camping trip to Rome, Georgia and visiting with family.

Paul was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Paul’s favorites was Trouble, a female German Sheppard. They were best friends for Three years. He also loved Shep, his childhood dog; Blackjack, a huge cat; Jose', another family dog; as well as Cheetah, and Jazz the cat, his wife’s pets. His latest animal friend being Elton, a dog belonging to his son Travis.

When Paul’s retirement finally arrived in July 31, 1993, he was well prepared, even though he would have preferred to stay on active duty. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was confident in planning his retirement to Tampa Bay, Florida. He was gratified to find a civilian job with SEMCOR, doing similar work to what he did with the Navy. He earned a Florida Real Estate License but decided not to enter that profession. He kept busy in retirement by learning all the streets in the Tampa Bay area working as a courier, with frequent out of town jaunts as well. He enjoyed holiday visits with family. Even in retirement, Paul continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making new acquaintances. .

CDR Paul M. Warr, Ret., passed away on September 3, 2010 at Northeast Florida Community Hospice in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville, FL., surrounded by the family that loved him. Paul fought a brave battle against cancer and passed after contracting pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, Nina Mary, his mother, Helen Lindsey; his sister, Lucy Appleby; his daughters, Grace Hellenthal and Rochelle Owens; his son Travis Damerow; and his grandchildren Brandon, Kaitlin, Nina, Karlee, Shannah, Ky, Cody and Isaac. Services were held at NAS Jacksonville Chapel, All Saint's Building. CDR Paul Warr was buried at sea from a United States Naval Carrier to be announced at a later date.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of CDR Paul M. Warr, Ret. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved. His passing has left a big hole in the heart of his family and he will be missed.

OBITUARY:

WARR, Cmdr. Paul M., 66, passed peacefully September 3, 2010, after a courage-ous battle with cancer. Paul served his country proudly with the U.S. Navy, and he retired after 31 years of loyal service with the Department of Defense. He was also a member of the Military Officers of America and a graduate of Auburn University. He was a devoted military commander, son, brother, husband, father, grand-father and friend. He will be missed every day by those who knew and loved him. He leaves behind to cherish his memory, loving wife of 29 years, Nina M. Warr; mother, Helen Lindsey; son, Travis Damerow; daughters, Grace L. (Karl) Hellenthal and Rochelle (Daniel) Owens; sister, Lucy "Lily" (Fr. Aaron) Appleby; eight grandchildren, Brandon, Kaitlin, Nina, Karlee, Shannah, Kylon, Cody and Isaac; and many treasured friends. A memorial service in his honor will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 18, in the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville Chapel. His interment will take place as a military burial at sea at a later date. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Mandarin11801 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32223, www.hgmandarin.com (904) 288-0025