The Man, The Legend

By: Michael Wright

My adventures with Paul began when we were both called to the Sunday School presidency in the River Park Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I invited all the members of the presidency to my home for our first meeting. It was summertime, and after our official undertakings, I announced that I had prepared strawberry shortcake for everyone. Paul’s eyebrows and the corners of his lips nearly shot to the ceiling. His eyes sparkled, his smile shined with megawatt brilliance, and his hands rubbed together indicating no time should be lost. After a bite or two, Paul raised his fork into the air saying, “Delicious!” After another bite or two, in a softer voice, he said, “Don’t tell Sherrie”—my first clue that sugar had been criminalized in his home. The poor man.

My soon-to-be wife and I visited Paul and Sherrie on Paul’s birthday that first year of our friendship. We came bearing a gift and a “cake.” The gift was a book of Dilbert cartoons, and the cake, fearing Sherrie’s wrath, was a tangelo with a candle stuffed into the top (all of which looked like an orange hand grenade), and “Happy Birthday, Paul!” written with permanent ink on the circumference.

I have always been in awe of the musical talent of Paul and Sherrie. Whenever Sherrie pulled together a choir for a performance at church, I would stand next to Paul in the choir so that I knew how I was supposed to sound, trying my best to follow.

A couple of times after coming to know Paul, I reached out to him for medical advice on behalf of family members dealing with serious medical issues. Paul was always willing to give his advice, gave perfect advice, and would follow up to see how things were going. Paul was devoted, no, he was defined, by his compassion for others.

It was hard to watch Paul and Sherrie struggle with Paul’s final illness. Through it all, both proved themselves superheroes under the weight upon them. Paul and Sherrie became, and remain, an inspiration. Paul never shied away from the most awful treatments designed to prolong and save his life. Sherrie was always at Paul’s side, always and in every way providing support. Most importantly, both kept their faith in God and in eternal life. And, not to be undervalued, both made and enjoyed good times together during the time that remained for them in mortality. I’ll not forget the times I would call Paul and hear Sherrie and a few of their other family members laughing in the background, all the while Paul telling me of some latest escapade with excitement in his voice.

Paul truly was/is a man of superb character and qualities. His joy in life, his humor, his playfulness, his compassion, his self-sacrifice, his talents, his faith, his love—if we hadn’t experienced it, it would be hard to believe any one man could be all that.

Paul fought the good fight, he finished his course, he kept the faith. Therefore, there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give him. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

-- Michael Wright


Paul, until next time…