Paul Lee Kalbach

Paul Lee Kalbach, 48, of Summerville, SC died of a heart attack August 30, 2023, at his home. He was born June 29, 1975, in Rome, PA, the son of David and Sarah Kalbach. Paul was the husband of Amanda Kalbach, Lab Manager for Aquatic Analytics and Livestock Manager for Circle M Farm.

A 1993 graduate of Saluda (SC) High School, Paul graduated in 1998 from Lander College where he studied History, Anthropology and English. He married Amanda in 1999. They moved to Summerville, SC in 2006 where they raised their two children, Morris and Rachel.

Paul worked for Atlas Technologies as a Naval Messaging Subject Matter Expert. He traveled the world installing, configuring, testing and training sailors on US Navy communications systems. He always left a ship and its crew better equipped and more proficient than he found them, fixing technical issues few others could and earning many Bravo Zulus from those he interacted with. When he wasn't traveling, he worked closely with engineers, software developers and software testers to ensure patches and new capabilities were well-vetted prior to release.

In his work and personal life, Paul was a jack of all trades. Bouncing from computers to cooking to small engine repair to woodworking to birdwatching, he absorbed and retained information easily.

Paul was an avid collector of new experiences and obscure knowledge in a wide range of areas. It all depended on what caught his interest. He loved to travel and soak in new places and customs. His job took him to far-flung places, most of which he loved and would talk about endlessly. Being a huge foodie, he thoroughly Immersed himself in the cuisine of every new place and brought home as many of those ideas as he could to share with his family and friends.

Many people didn’t realize Paul was a synesthete. He saw flavors as colors and used that skill to blend flavors and create fantastic meals for family and friends. Whether he was working in a fully stocked kitchen, standing in front of a hot grill or throwing aluminum pouches in the embers of a campfire, Paul created amazing dishes. His one challenge was quantity. Inevitably, he’d make enough to feed everyone three times over.

On the intellectual side, Paul knew his history and could deftly explain how history was repeating itself by, for example, referencing an ancient political gambit played by Cyrus the Great of Persia. Paul often quoted his favorite authors or lines from movies to illustrate points. He was knowledgeable about computers and could be relied on to troubleshoot the stickiest problems for family and friends.

Sometimes considered nerdy, Paul loved wearing witty T-shirts, watching documentaries about everything on YouTube and diving headlong into his hobbies. He made his own sausages, refurbished axes, built camping gear to make weekends in the woods more civilized and read a staggering array of fiction and non-fiction works.

Paul was an artist who expressed himself through several mediums. Through his camera lens, he captured the beauty of trees, reptiles and amphibians throughout the state during his soodles with the South Carolina Association of Naturalists. Using his outdoorsy adventures for inspiration, he sketched scenes and still-lifes using pencil, pen and charcoal. When he was feeling scattered, he’d disappear into his workshop and turn gorgeous bowls and vases out of wood he collected from a variety of sources. Paul was always humble about his art, stubbornly deflecting compliments with comments about how he planned to improve the next piece.

Paul was an attentive and caring husband and father. He was always there for his family and friends. Sometimes we just had to pull him out of his thoughts first. He was always up for most anything the kids wanted to do, from building a custom desk to helping pick out good art supplies to identifying the newest bug or frog or lizard found in the backyard to wandering antique and thrift stores to find treasures.

Paul is survived by his wife Amanda Morris Kalbach, son Jonathan Morris Alexander Kalbach (Eli Kalbach) and daughter Rachel Hermione Kalbach; mother Sarah Kalbach; six siblings, Mark David Kalbach (Darlene Kalbach), Beth Ann Westerholm (Rick Westerholm), Sarah Joy Weathersbee, David Timothy Kalbach (Melanie Kalbach), Hope Esther Price (Martin Price) and Christina Faith Kalbach; and nieces and nephews Ethan and Autumn Weathersbee, Dillon and Aeden Kalbach, and Wolf Ott.

Paul was preceded in death by his father David Lee Kalbach and brother Jonathan Raymond Kalbach.

Having rescued numerous cats and dogs through a variety of channels over the years, the family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider donating to their favorite rescue organization. Alternatively, in keeping with Paul’s love of the outdoors, donations in his name may be made to the South Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SCPARC) online at https://scparc.org/donate/.

A memorial gathering will be held on September 30, 2023, in the Heritage Room at Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, SC: https://cypressgardens.berkeleycountysc.gov. There will be a service at 11:00am followed by a potluck lunch and an afternoon of reminiscing and enjoying the beautiful Gardens. Please join us as we honor Paul and celebrate his life.

GNU Paul Kalbach

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.carolinamemorial.com for the Kalbach family.