Roderick Franklin Paul, 79, of Wheeler County, Oregon passed away February 5th, 2024 after a long struggle with dementia and diabetes.
They certainly broke the mold when Frank and Winzora "Bobbie" (Toney) Paul brought him into the world on May 17, 1944 in Portland, OR. Frank, a postal deliveryman, and Bobbie, a homemaker, raised Rick along with his older sister Winnie in the Roseburg area. Some of his fondest memories growing up were wild times with friends in Douglas County and working on cousin Billy and Mary Keys' ranch in Wheeler County. Rick graduated from Roseburg HS, then attended Eastern Oregon University walking on the soccer team, transferring to Oregon State University, before enlisting in the US Army. He trained in Hawaii, then served in the Vietnam War as a Forward Observer where he stepped on a landmine causing permanent hearing loss; he received a Purple Heart medal. Rick was wholeheartedly against war. He reunited and remained close with the Vets from the 6/11th known as the "Hard Livers" (pun intended).
After his honorable discharge, he traveled to Canada and worked over a decade as a big horn sheep hunting guide for the Drift Family in British Columbia and the Yukon. He also worked as a Timber Sale Administrator for the Forest Service in the Umpqua National Forest.
Rick married Ann Gardner in 1971 and they had a daughter, Bekki. He later married Danielle Hogan in 1980 and their children are Toney, Dixie, Kate, & Herb.
With his GI loan, Rick bought his first ranch near Umpqua, Oregon with his mother helping him purchase his first horse. This began a large cattle ranching business that is still in his family today as Double Bar. Rick was a well-known cattle buyer in all parts of the northwest and at one time was running cattle as far as the Mexican border into New Mexico and Arizona. As a cattle contractor, he had some of the same customers for over 40 years. In 1994, they purchased Billy Keys' former ranch in Wheeler County and in following years bought the Fran Cherry and Kinzua ranches there as well, expanding with a feedlot and farm in Prineville. As both of his parents' families were pioneers in the Mitchell area, he was proud to move his family back in 1996 to Waterman Flat. Together with his family, and many good ranch hands over the years, they all worked incredibly hard running yearlings, hunting, and cow-calf operations on the ranches and leases he lined up all over God's green earth.
Hobbies included Beaver football, loud Rock'n'roll, Bochy baseball, local sports, food, helping his community, politics, commodity markets, speeding tickets, real estate, and cows! He served on the Mitchell School Board for about a decade and believed strongly in a good education. One of his favorite things to do was call or visit all of you-his favorite people. He rarely met a stranger. As those who knew him well can attest, he had a rare spirit of determination that rang as loud as the Oldies radio blaring from his old mini-vans-it could not be dampened.
Survivors include his wife, Danielle Paul, children; Bekki (Brian) Ingraham of Davis Creek, CA, Toney (Ross) Ryno of Mitchell, OR, Dixie (Patrick) Echeverria of Powell Butte, OR, Kate Paul of Santa Monica, CA, Herb (Danielle) Paul of Powell Butte, OR; grandchildren; Grady (Lindsey) Ingraham and Hardy Ingraham, Charlie & Paul Ryno, Taylor & Lauren Echeverria, and Hudson Paul. We also would like to include Lawrence Zhibo Yu of Hong Kong, as his honorary son, his wife Regina, and their children Laina and Lulu. Rick is preceded in death by his parents and sister Winnie Long.
Please join us at the Mitchell Gym to share memories, pictures, music, and a meal on March 2nd, at 12:30 p.m. We'll provide the beef! We also invite a small group of close friends and family to join us at the Toney Family Cemetery preceding this at 11:00 a.m. for a short graveside service.
Memorial contributions may be made In Memory of Rick Paul towards the purchase of a Wheeler County 4-H animal. Please make checks to Wheeler County Stockgrowers. They can be brought to the service or mailed to Box 9, Mitchell, Oregon 97750.
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