Paul Wehr

After 80 years living a useful, conscientious and generous life, Paul got on his beloved red Rollfast bicycle on November 18, 2017 to ride free of the troubles of this world. Born to Julian and Julie (Laubinger) Wehr Paul was raised in rural Vermont to values of conservation, hard work and solace found in Nature. Living with his parents, older brother David (deceased, Nancy, children David, Paul, Jennifer), little sister Jeanine (Lawrence Jones, children Mark, Juliet), his maternal Grandparents, and paternal Grandmother, Paulie also honed early his natural humor and hopefulness while addressing conflict without inflicting harm. At 16, Paul left home to begin the formal education that would earn him his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. Always weaving the theoretical with activism, Paul spent his student years "work camping" in Europe before joining the American Friends Service Committee to work with French-Algerian war refugees in North Africa and beginning his life-long connection with the Quakers. Of his first marriage during this time, Paul said, "we got that wrong, but at least did the divorce right." Those years most happily resulted in the birth of daughter Kirsten (Ron, son Alexander). They also led Paul to his summer "Paradise"-a rustic, isolated cottage on the coast of DownEast Maine where he found retreat and reconnection with all he loved for four decades, even a first-ever meeting with half-sister Camilla Molinari (deceased) and her daughter Leah (Keith Jones, Lucas and Carly). And to his home in Boulder, a model of no-waste sustainability built with spectacular views and non-auto access to the Foothills, the Friends Meeting House for weekly worship and community, and his faculty position at the University of Colorado. Here a rich 40-yr career included teaching, research and hands-on service work in social activism on four continents. Paul nurtured generations of grateful students to address social and environmental conflict while working toward justice without violence. In addition to the countless individuals and organizations benefitting from Paul's skill and wisdom, his academic publications and creative ideas earned him national and international Peacemaker awards as well as the distinguished Robin Williams Award granted by 'The Peace, War, and Social Conflict Section' of the American Sociological Association. When "all work and no play" threatened to make Paul a dull and unhappy boy, he settled into more personal peacemaking by marrying his longtime love, friend, partner, and best-ever- adventure-buddy Christiane in 1999. While fully embracing her family (Curtis, wife Nicole, and daughter Allie), Paul and Chris shared a deep connection to love, laughter and each other. Beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, Grandfather, and Friend, Paul will be deeply missed. But we are comforted knowing his greatest wish fulfilled: Paul's own sparing use of limited resources leaves his loved ones with the privilege of holding his memory in the joy of continuing to actively care for Nature, this world, and one another. A remarkable man of peace is at peace. If you are moved to honor Paul's life, consider a donation in his name to the University of Colorado Peace Studies Endowment (University of Colorado Foundation, P.O.Box 17126, Denver, CO 80217-9155), Boulder's Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center (www.rmpjc.org), or the American Friends Service Committee (www.afsc.org). Celebrations of Paul's life for Family and Friends in Boulder and Maine are being planned.