Paul Douglas

Richfield, Utah - Paul Douglas left this life on the morning of December 14, 2025, in the presence of his loving family . His life spanned 90 years, he was born April 22, 2025 to Ethel Louise Towers and Richard Richardson Douglas. His two year wait to be reunited with the love of his life, Melba has come to pass. Knowing they are together again makes this a bittersweet time for us.

Paul and Melba displayed great courage together. After embracing the LDS faith, they reached the decision to pack up their young family (two baby boys, Stephen and Brook) and emigrate from Canada to New Zealand. This was an epic journey filled with memories shared time and again to any listening ear throughout their lives. In Auckland they bonded and became a welcomed part of the Wolfgramm, Schaumkel, Wihongi, and Harris families, among so many others and these friendships have remained with them, blessed them, and sustained them through the years.

Paul’s integrity was his personality and was his greatest expectation of others in his relationships. For instance, he was no fan of surprise parties because they often required deceit. For him, being honest was the least you could do for anyone else and he was dedicated to embodying that ideal. His encyclopedic knowledge of history and current events made him an easy resource of information. We grew up with him as our personal Google.

Although usually a man of few offered words, that would change based on the subjects for conversation. Motorcycles, especially his Yamaha V-Max, his short wave radio, or politics were his favorite topics these last few decades. He loved to drive, especially in western states and would ensure you were taking in the sights along the way. His eye for natural beauty and the wonders of nature fueled his passion to see it in person. Music and harmony soothed his soul. If we published a soundtrack for his life it would have to start off with Sinatra, be infused with the Tabernacle Choir, and finish with his own voice as lead in a barbershop quartet.

His career with Melba was Residential Property Management. It was a practical choice as it provided the roof overhead, paid the bills, and allowed him the opportunity to flex his creative problem solving skills. He maintained and repaired those properties tirelessly as if they were his own. From AC’s to lawn weeds, nothing escaped his attention or sense of duty to the job. The grass, however, was always potentially more beautiful somewhere else, so opportunities to change addresses were rarely passed up. Douglas family moves are the stuff of legend, and the drives were a chance to see the country that he loved. He was, at his core, a patriot even before he and his young family were naturalized as United States Citizens. His determination to get his family to America is a constant source of blessings for all of us, and his pioneering efforts to bring his family into the gospel will always be cherished as part of his greatness as our family Patriarch.

He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. May his memory be a blessing in the lives of his ever-growing family.

Paul is survived by his children and their spouses: Stephen and Anna Douglas of Elkridge, Jay and Angela Douglas of Mesa, Arizona, Andrew and Kristen Douglas of Richfield, and Abbie and William Powers of La Mesa, California, 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grand-children.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Mary, his son Brook, a Grandson MacGregor, and his beloved Melba.

Funeral services for Douglas will be at 12:00 Noon on December 27, 2025 at the Richfield LDS 2nd Ward Building, 600 West 200 South. Burial will be in the Richfield City Cemetery under the care of Springer Turner Funeral Homes of Richfield and Salina.