Paul Munch, a 30-year resident of Davis, passed away November 15, 2017.
Paul was born in Glendale, California in 1949. He enjoyed growing up in Burbank where he and his pals had a great time. He graduated from Burbank High School in 1967. He attended Valley College for two years and transferred to UC Santa Barbara where he received his B.S. (1972) in zoology. He received his M.S. at San Diego State University (1975) in zoology. He then attended the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and received his Ph.D. (1985) in human physiology and molecular biophysics.
When he was at Valley College in 1967, he met Carolyn Diehl. He and Carolyn married in the Diehl family back yard in 1972.
After Galveston, Paul had a two-year postdoctoral Fellowship at UC San Diego where he began his career in bio medical research. He then moved to Davis and worked at UC Davis for 21 years, retiring in 2008.
Paul had many and varied interests. He delighted in making the muli-layer chocolate cake for his and Carolyn's wedding. He participated in many competitive sports: cross country running track, volleyball, racquetball, baseball and tennis. He also enjoyed being on the water to surf, canoe and sail. He spent a lot of time reading, learning and problem-solving. He enjoyed projects around the house, including putting on a new roof and making a picket fence.
He was also quite an adventurer. He worked as a seasonal national park ranger for eight summers in Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Parks. For three of those summers he and Carolyn lived in the wilderness in a one-room cabin at 10,500 feet with no electricity, bathroom or running water. They loved to travel in their VW van and went on many trips throughout the U.S. and Canada fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing, and sailing.
They traveled the Baja Peninsula on a surfing trip. They drove the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks and took the Alaska Ferry through the inter coastal waterway to Seattle. While in Galveston, they bought a small catamaran with another couple. Paul and Davesailed the intercoastal waterway from Mexico to Galveston. They also sailed around Galveston Island, Paul and Carolyn also enjoyed many tours to Europe.
Paul was predeceased by his parents, Maxine Munch and Also Munch, and his brother Norm. His survivors include Carolyn Munch, his loving wife of 45 years, sister Dianna McCarthy, sister-in-law Kathy Helliesen (Bob), nephew Rob Helliesen, nieces Emily Helliesen Day (Adam) and Elizabeth Helliesen, great-niece Hattie Day and cousins, Martha Schultz and John Hoehn.
Paul and Carolyn had an especially close and loving relationship. He was fun, thoughtful, hard-working, honorable man. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Paul lived with Lewy body dementia for several years. His last year was extremely difficult. Paul's family would like to extend a special thank you to two of his excellent caregivers, Tiffany and Wendy. Yolo Hospice also was very helpful.
A service of remembrance will be held Sunday, December 10, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis, 27074 Patwin Road, Davis, California, 95616.
Published in the Davis Enterprise, November 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment