Paul, Richard Allen – formerly of Owosso and Oakley, died Saturday, November 7, 2020 in Seattle, WA. He was 78 years of age.
Rich was born May 27, 1942 in Blue Island, IL to the late Alexander and Elizabeth (Van Deering) Paul. He was a resident of Detroit for 28 years before moving to Oakley in 1998. Rich earned his Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from Syracuse University. He was a constant and devoted companion to his wife, Katherine Paul, who pre-deceased him in 2019 after 53 years of marriage. Rich was a dedicated public servant who worked in community development and urban planning for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He retired in 1997 after serving for 32 years having risen to Director of Community Planning and Development for Michigan. Rich was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying camping, hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, bicycling, and kayaking on the river. He was actively engaged in the community volunteering with Boy Scouts, local school sports, church youth groups, Rotary Club, community theater in both Detroit and Owosso, and the North Rosedale Park Civic Association. He also loved to travel and enjoyed many adventures around the world with his wife.
Surviving are: son, Gregory (Laura Hisler) Paul of Phoenix, AZ; daughter, Laura (David) Richardson of Seattle, WA; granddaughters: Grace Elizabeth and Anna Mae Richardson of Seattle, WA and Isabelle Carlson of Vail, CO and in-laws and cousins throughout the US and Canada. He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife.
He will be interred alongside his wife at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Chicago, IL. The family will organize a gathering in his honor in Chicago once it is safe again to travel and gather. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the National Park Foundation or Habitat for Humanity. You may share a memory for the family at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/9897588.
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