Paul Sundman Obituary

September 14, 1962 - April 29, 2008. Paul Sundman passed away April 29th at his home in Colorado Springs. He was surrounded by his loving family, including his wife Jennifer, son Kyle and daughter Jillian. Paul was born on September 14th, 1962 to John and Margaret Sundman. He was the youngest of seven children, and is survived by his parents, as well as three brothers: Michael, John, and Peter; and three sisters: Maureen, Barbara, and Margaret. He is also survived by 19 nephews and nieces. Paul spent his childhood in North Caldwell, NJ, and attended high school in Ohio and Connecticut. After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 1984, Paul moved to Vermont, where he was a vice president of then-fledgling Burton Snowboards. While at Vanderbilt, Paul spent a semester of his junior year studying in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. During his spring break, Paul visited Chamonix, France, where, on a train station platform, he met another American also studying abroad. The fellow traveler was Jennifer Ann Young, who would become the love of Paul's life. The two were married five years later and celebrated their 20th anniversary in January of this year. In 1989 Paul earned an M.B.A. from Georgetown University. He lived and worked in Washington, D.C. as a management consultant for Deloitte and Touche. Two years later Paul eschewed corporate life and moved with Jennifer to her hometown of Colorado Springs, where he opened a mountain bike and snowboard shop called "Momentum." Before their move west, Paul and Jennifer indulged their mutual love of travel by spending several months backpacking in such exotic locales as Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti. In 1992 the couple joyously welcomed the birth of their son Kyle, and three years later did the same for the birth of their daughter Jillian. Paul was extraordinarily close with his children, and was involved in all aspects of their lives. For the last 12 years, Paul worked in property management with Jennifer's father Jim Young. Paul was a superb athlete, excelling in snowboarding, mountain biking, soccer, and surfing. He loved music, the outdoors, comedy and eastern philosophy. He was also a man who treasured family, and whose family treasured him. He never once missed the annual Sundman family reunion, a gathering which included his parents and all six of his siblings and their families on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. In 2003, Paul was diagnosed with A.L.S., also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Throughout his courageous battle with this terminal illness, Paul's indomitable spirit never waned. Despite the Herculean challenges of A.L.S., Paul traveled the world, attacked the slopes with a specially rigged "sit-ski," and most importantly, remained a dedicated husband, father, son, brother and friend. Those of us who knew Paul will miss him dearly. He resonated dignity and grace, and his generosity of spirit inspired all who were lucky enough to cross his path. He was a man who did not sip at life, he gulped it. Whether he was snowboarding (first chairlift in the morning, last in the afternoon) or riding waves at the beach (is a human really meant to be in the water for eight hours at a time?), Paul always had a childlike smile, as if he had a secret. Perhaps somehow he knew he was living four times the life in half the time. There will be a celebration of Paul's life on May 17th at 2 p.m. at First Congregational Church, located at 20 E. Vrain Street. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Paul's name to Project A.L.S. (www.projectals.org), which funds research for the cure of A.L.S., and to Challenge Aspen/Paul's sled (www.challengeaspen.com), for the development of a special snowboard for the physically challenged.