Paul Prebys

Paul Prebys died in his sleep on Wednesday, July 27, 2011. There were several significant threads that made up his life: father, lover, brother, teacher, activist and friend.

Paul was my husband and my partner. I loved him. This year would have marked 40 years of marriage. Of all of the things he gave me (and he gave me much) I cherish our children the most. He was a wonderful father. He will be missed.

His greatest pride was being a dad, not only to his son and daughter, but also to so many others in the community. He was the best father one could imagine having. He challenged us and supported us and loved us unconditionally.

Paul grew up in a Polish community in South Bend, Indiana. He was the youngest of five brothers. They all shared a deep appreciation for classical music:played loudly.

He worked as a speech therapist in public schools for 30 years. Public education was one of his strongest pursuits. In an Anchorage Daily News article he stated, "Children are absolutely beautiful. They are the hope of our future, and we are neglecting them to the point of abuse in school systems today."

He genuinely loved people and surrounded himself with friends as often as possible. He had the best laugh of anyone, the kind that shakes door frames and echoes through the walls.

Paul helped found Alaskans for Peace and Justice in Anchorage. Those in the peace and justice community considered him a rare soul who worked tirelessly and selflessly for justice around the world. One of his closest comrades and friends said, "Paul had a special gift, a passion for compassion. For some strangely beautiful reason, he took personally the violence by those with military power against the weak, the poor and the defenseless."

In his own words he wrote, "My fantasy now is to become the person worthy of the place I exist; a father of two children that I love and respect unconditionally; a group of friends and comrades who I care for and care for me; a group of physical ailments that are recoverable: The fantasy is that I can find the fortitude, courage and self-discipline to solve these issues driven by a desire to live."

There will be an open memorial service to celebrate his life and to remember him on August 21, 2011 at 1:30 pm at Fairview Community Center in the multipurpose room located at 1121 E. 10th Avenue in Anchorage. We will be encouraging those who would like to speak to do so, please email aprebys@gmail.com if you would like to be added to the program.

In lieu of flowers or donations, the family asks for anyone who knew Paul to share a story or a memory about him, no matter how short or how long. We loved him very much and we know he touched many lives and we would greatly appreciate hearing them. You can post any pictures or thoughts at http://paulprebys.wikispaces.com/.

Our hearts are broken knowing how much pain he endured and we wish him peace. He is loved and will be missed greatly.