Paul Willems

Paul passed away on Saturday, January 24th, 2015.

He was born in the town of Heron Lake, Minnesota, son of Paul and Margaret Willems. He earned a BA in Sociology from the U. of Minnesota and was later to earn his master's degree at Puget University.

Paul served two years in the US Army during the Korean War. He was a radio transcriber and MP stationed in the Philippines. He later served for 18 years as a cook for the Army Reserves and the Washington State National Guard, retiring as a Staff Sergeant. Paul was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Connelly Award for Cooking. He was always proud of his service to his country, of the fact that his father, grandfather, and especially his son David, also all served in the US Army.

He worked for the Department of Public Welfare in Minnesota, then as a counsellor in the McNeil Island prison in Washington State, then as a probation and parole officer in Seattle, WA. This, no doubt, contributed to his dark sense of humor. He retired from the State of Washington after twenty years.
He married Marie Becker in 1962. They had two sons, Daniel and David, and divorced in 1973.

He moved to Roswell in about 1985, saying that Washington had always been too moldy for him. In Roswell, he met Linda Ellerman, who became his girlfriend, and remained so for several years until her passing.
He purchased several investment properties in Roswell. He enjoyed puttering about, repairing his properties, and building excessively sturdy furniture. He was a skilled upholster. He had an incorrigible sweet tooth, and often baked sweets to share with his friends and coworkers.

He liked to knock back a beer with friends at the Eagles, the American Legion, and the VFW. He was a member of the Roswell Senior Circle for years, where he often brought in home-baked pie. He did a lot of volunteer work, notably for the Roswell Probation and Parole office, and cooking for the Eastern NM Medical Center and the J.O.Y. Center.

He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Robert Willems, and his sister Marian Koevenie. He is survived by Marie, Daniel, and David Willems, and his sisters Gertrude Ulrich and Lora Swanson.

Paul was a contradiction. He was a man of letters and loved poetry. But he also loved his action movies, junk food, and crude jokes. He was both thrifty and giving, a joker and a gentleman. He could be gruff and caustic. But as a rule he was kind, cheerful, and generous of spirit.

He would be pleased that we are pausing a moment to honor his memory. But he would then want us to accept his passing and get back to business. He will be missed deeply by his family and friends alike.

If you knew Paul, please join us for a memorial gathering, with a presentation by the NM Veteran Services Honor Guard Team:
Saturday, February 21, 2015, 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Senior Circle, 2801 N. Main St., Suite D, Roswell, NM, 88201

Service

Cemetery