Lloyd Paulson

Lloyd Paulson (aged 74) passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on July 7, 2022. Tragically, the date of his passing corresponded with the 40th birthday of his only and favourite daughter.

Lloyd leaves to mourn Karen, his wife of 50 years, his son, Kristjan (Krista) and daughter Angie (Trevor Hoffman) of Calgary and most importantly his three precious grandchildren (Desmond Paulson, Ava and Henry Hoffman). He is also survived by his sister Janet (Pete) Donahoe of San Antonio and his nephew, Jason (Tracey) of Lundar and his niece, Leanna (Mosa) San Antonio. He was predeceased by his parents, Doc and Toots Paulson of Lundar and his parents-in-law, Don and Joan Charles of Rathwell.

Education was very important to Lloyd. He completed his Science degree at the University of Winnipeg and went on to complete his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education from Brandon University. Lloyd began his teaching career in Wawanesa in 1970 as a high school science teacher and retired 32 years later as the Superintendent of Southwest Horizon School Division. Twenty-five years before terms like “virtual learning” and platforms like Zoom and Teams were common, he was a visionary in the field. Recognizing that students from small rural schools lacked the variety of courses offered in Winnipeg or Brandon, he pioneered the use of technology to offer interactive video courses to students in small rural towns. Using innovative technology (at the time), students in small rural schools were able to take classes by direct video link with teachers in nearby schools, dramatically increasing the variety of classes offered in small rural towns.

Lloyd and his family loved to travel. Lloyd and Karen enjoyed several cruises and some great trips to Disney World with Kris and Des. Lloyd grew up in Lundar, Manitoba and was very proud of his Icelandic heritage. One of his favourite trips was to Iceland with his family in 2014, to meet distant cousins and reunite with his heritage. Even though his love of smoked fish didn’t seem to be passed down to his children, he relished in the opportunity to revisit his family heritage in the presence of his family.

While Lloyd was an innovator and leader in rural education, his true passion was his family. He was a great Dad and he was an even better grandpa. As a Dad, he spent his weekends making lunch for his family, carefully picking up the celery from the soup for his daughter Angie, and making pancakes in the shapes of his children’s names. When his son Kris took an interest in football, he bought season tickets to the Blue Bombers, starting in 1991, after watching them win the Grey Cup the year prior. Unfortunately, the Bombers would not win the Grey Cup in their first 28 years as season ticket holders. They expanded their ticket package to a third ticket in 2017, to include his grandson Des. He was always proud of his team and was wearing a Bomber jersey on the day he was admitted to hospital for the last time. He watched the Bombers again lift the cup in 2020, lifting the “Paulson curse”, watching the game with his son and grandson, rejoicing together.

Lloyd's last mission in life was to be the best grandfather he could be, and he excelled at that. He spent several days a week with his grandson Des, and the two explored every museum and park they could find. Family photo albums are filled with happy images of the two of them exploring the best Manitoba has to offer, from Assiniboine Park to Fort Gibraltar to the Manitoba Museum. Lloyd and his grandson enjoyed a very special relationship that will be remembered forever. He was ecstatic that his family was expanded by two additional grandchildren, Ava and Henry, and he truly made the most of every moment he spent with them. He loved his visits to Calgary to spend time with them. Despite the pandemic, Lloyd ensured that he still connected with Ava and Henry. He organized weekly Zoom science experiments to entertain them and pass along his love of learning.

In spite of his exceptionally healthy & active lifestyle, Lloyd was tragically struck with Ulcerative Colitis, Parkinson’s Disease, and eventually renal disease, requiring hemodialysis. His last few years were dominated by medical appointments, three times a week dialysis, and a dramatic decline in his quality of life. He was provided with tremendous care by the teams at Dialysis at Health Sciences Centre, the movement disorder clinic at Deer Lodge, Brightwater Senior Living of Tuxedo, and Patient Transport Services of Winnipeg. Despite the heroic efforts of all involved, his health declined to the point where he was no longer able to walk and was in constant pain. Throughout it all, he kept a smile on his face, maintained a positive outlook on life, and always asked about the well-being of others first. While his passing will be mourned by all who knew him, his family is relieved that his suffering has ended.

Lloyd was many things to many people - a pioneer and leader in rural education, a dedicated teacher, an innovative school superintendent, a proud Icelandic Canadian, and a role model for many. But he will be remembered by his family for being the best father and grandfather a family could ask for.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Assiniboine Park Conservatory, where many happy summer afternoons were spent with his family or to a charity of your choice.

A Celebration of Lloyd’s life will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, July 15 at Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Blvd. Those who wish to join virtually can select "Join Livestream" below.