Paul Tanner Reese, 93, passed away on March 1, 2023 after a long fought battle with heart disease and dementia at Fremont Village Senior Living Center in Zimmerman, MN.

Paul was born on October 26, 1929 to Byron and Julie Reese in Minneapolis MN. He was the last surviving member of his family, being predeceased by his parents, his brothers John and Richard and his sister Mary. He is survived by his former wife Norma, his four children, Tony, Cindy, Sheila and Tim, his nine grandchildren, Benjamin, Nickolas, Stephanie, Rebecca, Ryan, Dillon, Delanie, Mckensie and Kylie (in that order) and his nine (and counting) great-grandchildren, Michael, Torin, Isla, Emmeline, Addison, Colden, Isabelle, Colton, and Nathaniel (also in that order).

After graduating from high school, Paul enrolled in engineering at the University of Minnesota. However after the first year he paused his studies and enlisted in the US Air Force where he was stationed at Lake Charles Air Force Base in Louisiana. It was there, at a Saturday night civilian/military swing dance, that he met Norma Boudreaux. After a short courtship the couple married and then, after Paul’s Air Force stint was complete, moved back to Minneapolis. There they started a family and Paul resumed his studies in engineering. He worked as an in-house custodian-maintenance man at an apartment building to support both his growing family and fund his education.

In 1958, Paul graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and found his first, and as it turned out only, job with Tecumseh Products in New Holstein WI. Paul and Norma rented a house in Sheboygan WI, then five years later bought a house of their own on Mary Ave in New Holstein. That home would remain the family center for many decades. There they raised their four children all of whom graduated from New Holstein Senior High School and all of whom enrolled in and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Paul worked as a design engineer at Tecumseh for 36 years. His cleverness, ingenuity and work ethic were greatly admired by his colleagues. In fact, during his time Paul was granted eight separate patents from the US Patent Office, all of them as the sole inventor. After his retirement from Tecumseh in 1994 he continued to work as an independent expert advising and testifying in product liability lawsuits involving small engine accidents. He succeeded due to his simple integrity and homespun believability in a courtroom.

In 1996 the marriage between Paul and Norma came to sad but amicable end. Paul stayed for a few years in the house on Mary Ave. Being dedicated to staying active he hooked up with the Sports for Active Seniors (SAS) organization in Madison. By the year 2000 he was travelling to Madison so often he decided to make the move there. Through SAS he met an engaging and extremely active woman named Arleen Wood. They hit it off famously and before long bought a house together in Middleton. They shared a love for music and travel and spent many happy and active years together.

Tragedy struck Paul with a double whammy in 2013 when he suffered a serious stroke. Ten days later while he was recovering in the hospital Arleen died suddenly in their home as a result of a bicycle accident just prior to Paul’s stroke. For most people this upheaval of their physical and emotional life would be crippling. But Paul simply accepted what life had dealt him, never got down and worked hard at his rehabilitation. His recovery from the stroke was remarkable and he was able to resume much of his physical activities. However, he was unable to maintain the large house and yard in Middleton and moved to a small condo in Black Earth.

In 2020 Paul had another physical setback, this time with his vision that made it difficult for him to live independently. And so he moved once more to live with his daughter Sheila and her husband Jim in their new home in Zimmerman MN. Sheila’s love and care made Paul’s final years comfortable and secure. Sheila and Jim’s incredible sacrifice of time and emotion while caring for Paul was beyond measure.

Paul Reese was born two days prior to the “Black Monday” and “Black Tuesday” stock market crash of 1929. He was a child of the Great Depression and, like so many of that generation, those meager years shaped his thinking and attitude of life. To say he was “careful with his finances” would be a kind understatement. But he was also doggedly independent and self-reliant. The ultimate do-it-yourselfer, there was no job or task or skill he would not attempt and master. When the driveway had to be paved he mixed and poured and finished the concrete himself. Need a three-season porch? No problem, he built it himself. Want a fireplace in the family room? Of course, he learned to lay bricks. Power boat for the weekends? Buy a salvage, replace the stern, fiberglass the hull and rebuild the engine… good as new. How about a new canoe? …sure, but not from a store! Paul and his son Tony built one of wood and canvas from a kit. Car needs new brakes… well, you get the picture. In 2012 Paul was diagnosed with severe blockage of his coronary arteries. His doctor’s insisted only immediate surgery would save his life. But Paul refused and instead began his own program of holistic supplements and medicines. He lived another ten years!

Paul Reese had many hobbies and interests. He loved to ski. His famous saying was “I want to die in a skiing accident when I’m 90”. He enjoyed anything outdoors including golfing, hiking, biking, sailing, birdwatching and camping. Reese family camping trips out west were epic adventures. He loved attending UW basketball and hockey games and watching football, especially the Green Bay Packers.

The last couple years of his life were tough on Paul and his family. He so often expressed frustration not remembering words and forming sentences. It was hard to watch a mind that was once so sharp and full of knowledge slowly fade away. In the end the only name he could remember was his little dog Lili, which is at once both sad and cute. But even after he had forgotten his life and was no longer able to recognize his family, Paul’s basic personality was somehow still there. He was inherently kind, with occasional bouts of orneriness, and even managing a typical Paul deadpan joke now and then. Paul Reese lived a long and mostly good life. I guess he lived the life he wanted, except perhaps, for that skiing accident!

…he would have loved that joke!

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