Paul Paulsen Obituary

Paul Norremose Paulsen was born April 2nd, 1931, in Sedgwick, Alberta, Canada. His parents, who were born and raised in Denmark, immigrated to Canada in 1923 and began farming in the Canadian plains. They had four children - Arne, Svend, Elsbeth and Poul. Parents Axsel Schugger Poulsen and Christiane Norremose Petersen raised cows for milk and considerable grain on their 100 acre farm. Paul began school in 1936 by joining his older brothers and sisters in a one room school. In 1939, the family returned to Denmark and bought a farm ("Sun Song Millegor" or Mill Farm) in Landbrug, Fyn, Denmark. Paul learned to speak Danish very quickly, and enjoyed the larger two room school. In 1939, Denmark was invaded by the German Army, and to protect the family, the Danish resistance sped Axsel to the local courthouse to alter the birth records of the children and the parents' years in Canada. Paul was no longer Canadian - he was Danish. His youngest brother, Hans, was born after the War. Paul's education included five years of training in the Danish Dairy Industry. He also served for eighteen months as one of the first members of the Royal Danish Air Force, stationed in Kastrup, Denmark. His last year in Denmark was spent as a foreman and head cheese maker in a dairy. In 1954 he immigrated back to Canada, and learned to speak English again. He lived with his brother Sven in Vancouver, Canada, and worked in dairy plants. He immigrated to the United States and worked for the Safeway Milk Company in Oakland California, and later as a Service Engineer for De Laval Separator Company in Burlington, California. He met and married Caroline Frank and they had a son, Arne. He moved to southern California, and became Production/Materials Manager for Favorite Foods in Fullterton, California. He was responsible for significant growth in yogurt production and sales from 1965 to 1974. He met and married Marijane Axtell in December of 1972. He worked in three more dairy/food production plants until his retirement from Precious Cheese in San Jose, California in 1989. He and Marijane moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she was President and he was "First Guy" of Pikes Peak Community College for eleven years. He hosted numerous meals for the college family and international visitors. Hosting friends from PPCC's Danish sister institution, along with colleagues from Russia and China was something he especially enjoyed. He was a volunteer for fifteen years with Salvation Army's Thanksgiving Dinner events. Paul was an avid gardener, golfer, and cross country skier. Paul and Marijane enjoyed traveling and visiting family and friends throughout the world. He is survived by his son, Arne, his Thai daughter-in-law Rung and grandson Agassi; his brother Svend (wife Joan and daughters Kim, Norma and Dianne) in Seattle; brother Hans (wife Lis and children Henning and Lotte) in Jutland, Denmark; nieces and nephews Bodil, Carsten, Flemming and Jutte in Fyn, Denmark; his oldest brother Arne's extended family in Brazil, South America; and his sister-in-law Dr. Kay Dean (daughter Lorna) of Kirkland, Arizona. He is also survived by his wife Dr. Marijane Axtell Paulsen. A service will be held at Chapel of Our Saviour 8 4th Street, Colorado Springs at 10:00 am Thursday, September 8th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care, or Chapel of Our Saviour.