Paul F. Page

Paul Francis Page passed away on August 8, 2015. Paul was born on December 10, 1937 in Lawrence, Massachusetts to Marie (Vaas) Page and Frank Page. He was the second oldest of six children. As a child he attended grade schools in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Lawrence, Massachusetts and Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended junior high school in Bremerton, Washington and high school in Purdy, Washington. Paul married Susan (Mikelsen) Page on June 24, 1967. They were blessed with two children: Allison Wren (Don) and Aaron Page (Michelle) and four grandchildren: Skyler Wren, Kaylee Wren, Justin Page and Audrey Page. Paul was preceded in death by his grandson Alex.
Paul is also survived by his brothers John (Patti), Michael (Anita), and sisters Katherine Page and Mary Jones. Paul was preceded in death by his sister Carol.
Paul served four years in the U.S. Air Force, from 1956 to 1960.
Paul worked as a Marine Machinist at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, starting in 1965 and retired as a Planner Estimator in 1999.
Services to honor and remember Paul are as follows: August 18, 2015 at 2:00 pm at the Rill Chapel Life Tribute Center, 1151 Mitchell Ave., Port Orchard, WA.
Family, Hard Work and Loyalty were cornerstones in Paul’s life and were principles that he taught to his children and grandchildren. He dedicated his life to providing for his wife and children and felt proud of what they accomplished in their lives.
Though quiet and somewhat reserved at times, he possessed a remarkably dry sense of humor that would sprout up randomly and would leave those around him shaking their heads and laughing at what he did or said.
Paul’s wants were few and they centered on the most important part of his life; Susan. From the moment he met her, he knew she was the one. A wild child, he quit all of that for her. Friends to the young Paul Page wanted to know what happened to him and the answer was Susan Mikelsen. Susan once commented that Paul told her he wanted them to take their time and for her to make sure she was as sure of him as he was of her. The answer to that question can be found in their children and grandchildren.
Following are some of our memories of Paul. The family would love it if you added special moments or photos to the tribute section of this memorial:
• Paul loved sweets and had a particular fondness for Root Beer Barrels and Black Licorice.
• His favorite holiday was Halloween and often encouraged his kids to take ‘breaks’ so they all could have a piece of candy together.
• He loved skiing and made sure that his children skied so they could all go together, minus Susan who didn’t like the cold.
• If it snowed outside, he was the first one up with sled in hand to take the kids out for the day.
• When out for a buffet, he would tell you not to bother with the salad or bread; “They are only fillers…”
• He loved to make homemade root beer with his children and later grandchildren.
• Meticulous; little notes on what connection wire or cable went where can be found throughout the house.
• Paul would do anything for his grandchildren, much to the amazement of his own children who often would smile, shake their own heads in amazement and wonder who is this man?
• Friends of Allison and Aaron would often remark on how lucky they were to have a father who was so involved in their lives. Each had a real relationship with their father, that relationship will be sorely missed for the rest of their lives.
• Playing cards, any card or board game, will never be the same without the grandchildren trying to figure out how Papa was going to try and cheat. I think they loved catching him as much as he loved trying to trick them.
Paul’s life could be summarized by his hard work to provide a better life for himself, his wife and children. He worked from around the age of 8 years by picking up golf balls, later as a golf caddy, but he held several other jobs throughout his life like: Oyster Picker, Paper Mill Worker, Air Force Mechanic, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Apprentice and later as a Planner Estimator until his “official” retirement. However, Paul’s quest to provide and love of the feeling of a project well done, led him to continue on another 14 years as a contractor on various projects that arose.
One would think with such a dedication to work he would not have time for anything else. However, he brought the same determination and work ethic to every aspect of his home life. No family home improvement project happened without some of Paul’s involvement. If he heard that one of his children would be working on a deck, a kitchen or anything else, Paul would be the first one there, tool bag in hand. This also extended to his grandchildren as he once remarked with pride about the good job his grandson Skyler did on his Eagle Scout final project; yes, Papa was there…tool bag in hand. He was never too busy to attend a dance recital for granddaughter Kaylee, teach his granddaughter Audrey to shoot a bow and arrow or teach his grandson Justin how to whittle a piece of wood properly.
All of this is the summary of a man who believed the greatest accomplishment in life was to be there and to provide for his family. For a man of few words, it was the best way he knew how to show his love.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 10600 Silverdale Way NW Unit B, Silverdale, WA 98383 or Literary Council of Kitsap, 616 5th St., Bremerton, WA 98337.