Paul Pfingston Born to Albert and Elizabeth (Knight) Pfingston on December 8, 1924; passed away at his home on November 5, 2007. Due to his mother's death shortly after his birth, he and his twin brother, Virgil, were lovingly raised by his Uncle Joe and Aunt Dorothy in Evansville, Indiana. Paul was drafted into the Navy during WWII, on his 18th birthday, beginning what would become a lifelong passion for boating and the water. After serving in the South Pacific he returned to his hometown of Evansville, where he met and married his wife of 60 years, Mildred Williams. 10 years of marriage and 5 children later, Paul and Mildred made a decision to head west, where he would work as a sprinkler fitter, eventually settling in Tacoma in 1960. He continued his career, retiring in 1987 after proudly taking part in the installation of sprinkler systems in many commercial facilities around the Northwest, including Tacoma General Hospital, Allenmore Hospital, and the Tacoma Mall. Being in the Northwest brought new adventures to Paul and his family, as the great outdoors called his name. He and his family hiked in Mount Rainier National Park often, which enabled all to experience first-hand the wonders of nature and splendor of vistas that some people will only see in pictures. His hobby of photography and film development yielded many such photos of his adventures. In time, the call of challenging hikes gave way to camping, hunting, and fishing. Nearly every weekend had some adventure awaiting the family. Paul lived his life to the fullest, always putting his family first. He will forever be remembered for his strong character, willpower, physical strength, and his enjoyment of a good John Wayne western. Paul was preceded in death by his son Richard Alan Pfingston, as well as his sisters Ruby Baker, Vivian Payton, Pearl Bitz, and Louise Humphrey, his brother Raymond Pfingston, and his twin Virgil Pfingston. He is survived by his wife Mildred, his sons Danny (Gayle), Michael, David (Marilyn), and daughter Lydia (Ray) Knoll, ten grandchildren, Shelley (Gerry) Comella, Jeffrey Pfingston, Valerie (Donnie) Colvin, Clayton Pfingston, Carl Pfingston, Joey Pfingston, Anna Bluel, Jason Pfingston, Tyson (Bonnie) Pfingston and Tracy (Tom) Bryant, and fourteen great-grandchildren. His treasured dog "Maggie" will miss the enjoyment of sitting with Paul in his favorite rocking chair and helping him eat his meals. (Yes Dad, we all knew you were sneaking your dinner to Maggie) All of Paul's family pitched in to assist in enabling him to reach his goal of remaining in his home until his death. Special Thanks are given to his son Michael and daughter-in-law Marilyn for their tireless efforts. Thank you to the staff of Franciscan Hospice for providing guidance, comfort and care during this difficult time. Viewing will be Friday, November 9, from 2:00 to 7:00 PM at Fir Lane Memorial Park, 924 East 176th Street, Spanaway, WA. Funeral services will be held at the same location on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations in Paul's honor may be made to Franciscan Hospice at: Franciscan Foundation, 1149 Market Street, PO Box 1502, Tacoma, WA 98401


Published in the News Tribune (Tacoma) on 11/8/2007.