Paul Walker Stupp

Paul Walker Stupp, age 76, passed away Sunday July 19, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia from cancer. He slipped away peacefully and without pain. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend, and a demographer whose work over more than three decades helped improve the health and lives of mothers, children, and families around the world.

Paul was born on November 23, 1949 in Kingsville, Texas, to Mark and Ernestine Stupp. In childhood, he was curious and adventurous, building a clubhouse near his childhood home and exploring with his friends. He participated in the Boy Scouts, earning enough money to attend the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. His dedication eventually led him to become an eagle scout.

He earned a B.A. in Mathematics from the State University College of New York at Brockport, an M.S. in Technology and Human Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Ph.D in Sociology and Demography from Princeton University in 1986. Earlier in his career, he worked as a high school teacher and as a software engineer.

In 1989, Paul joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where he would spend the next 25 years in the Division of Reproductive Health as a demographer and statistician. He became a world-class expert in the design, data, and analysis of large-scale health surveys. Over the course of his career, he worked on surveys in more than 20 countries across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe, gathering the data that shaped maternal and child health programs and improved the lives of mothers and babies around the world. He was the author or co-author of dozens of scientific papers, technical reports, and survey publications, and was frequently sought out by colleagues throughout CDC and other government agencies for his expertise. He was greatly respected and extremely well-liked by everyone who worked with him, in the U.S. and abroad.

In the later years of his career, Paul brought that same expertise to the Division of Global HIV and TB, joining the team in 2015. He helped guide the team in survey design, implementation, and data analysis, helping conduct HIV-focused household surveys across 18 countries that measured the world’s progress toward controlling the HIV epidemic. Even after his first retirement, he returned part-time to keep supporting the team’s most complex analyses. He was an excellent and patient teacher and mentor to colleagues at every level of experience.

To those who knew him, Paul was far more than his professional accomplishments. He was curious, adventurous, and kind-hearted. He loved to travel and he took real joy in bringing people together. He was a lover of puzzles and games – especially Scrabble – and was always ready to school those around him in a good match. He loved all things soccer, from playing through college to enjoying watching, whether it was his kids’ games or the US national team. He adored dogs, usually found at home with the family pet at his feet. Friends and colleagues remember his humor and smiles, his stories always arriving at the right moment, and the ease with which he made people feel welcome.

Paul is survived by his wife, Emma Stupp; his son, Daniel Stupp; his daughter, Alisha Stupp; his sister, Pamela Jones; his niece, Allyson Jones; his grandniece, Fae Ferrier-Watson; and many dear friends and colleagues. He was preceded in death by his mother and father.