Mr. Paul L. Strittmatter

How can you summarize a life of 92 years in the few lines that an obituary offers, for someone that you have loved and been loved by? Paul Leo Strittmatter was a member of "The Greatest Generation", all thanks to Tom Brokaw for this special insight into Paul's contemporaries and the times and events that shaped their lives. His credentials were hard work, faithfulness, frugalness, resourcefulness, sense of duty and tough love. Paul lived through the Great Depression, served through World War II, became a loving faithful husband, father and provider. Paul was born in Rushville, Nebraska on June 28th 1919 to Joseph and Barbara Strittmatter. He was raised Roman Catholic and remained a devout Catholic throughout his life. He grew up on a farm through the tough years of the dust bowl era and knew intimately hardship and a pioneer's existence. He enlisted in the Navy after graduating high school and found himself at Pearl Harbor during that fateful day of December 7th 1941. Paul's ship the USS Phoenix was one of the few to get out of the harbor unscathed and became a key component to the US Navy's Pacific fleet after the attack. The Phoenix saw action in all the major conflicts in the Pacific from that time on and earned 9 battle stars for her service until the Japanese surrender. Paul ended his Navy career with the rank of Chief Electrician's Mate at the war's end. Paul met and married Mildred Theresa Pass of Philadelphia before the war. He moved to Philadelphia after the war and took on the new profession of becoming a city fire fighter at station 58 on Byberry Road. Paul and Mildred had five children over the course of eighteen years, Paul Jr, Dennis, Donna(deceased), Donald and Richard. With the work schedule of 24 hours on and 48 hours off at the firehouse he started his own house painting business to earn more for the family. The family enjoyed years of homesteading, child rearing, camping, fishing, and youth sports in the surrounding northeast area. After twenty five years of working as a fireman and self-employed house painter, Paul retired and moved the family with his two younger sons to Brooksville Florida. Shortly after the move, Mildred developed cancer. Paul became a caregiver for her for months before she passed away on July 9th 1970 at the age of fifty one. Paul then began working as a school bus driver and later as a school electrician. Paul then met and married Bernice Mildred Rydberg in January of 1972 and combined Bernice's family that included Joy, Jo Leigh, Tyynne, Thomas, and Timothy. The years of tragedy starting with Donald's paralyzing accident, and the premature deaths from disease and accident of Jo Leigh, Thomas, and Joy forged these two families through the furnace of grief and empathy into being one family with no "step" between them. After Paul finally retired from his paying jobs he volunteered for years giving rides to assist seniors through the RSVP Services of Hernando County. Paul and Bea (as she wanted to be known as) enjoyed many years of snow-birding retirement between a mountain cabin in Sapphire, North Carolina and Brooksville. Paul and Bea were known for their years of canning fruits and vegetables from the mountains to supply the family and also treasured holiday treats. He enjoyed walking, cooking, woodworking with his son Richard and ceramic painting during his retirement years. Paul lost Bernice on January 1st 2012 after nearly 40 years. Shortly after Bernice's passing Paul contracted pneumonia and a urinary tract infection, these proved too much for him to overcome. Paul died peacefully at the HPH Hospice Center of High Point surrounded by his family on March 30th 2012. He will always be remembered and missed for his contagious smile, jolly laugh and friendly good nature. He was a role-model, silent hero and proxy of his generation. Paul is survived by two sisters Julia Frauendorfer of San Francisco California and Veronica (Sister Vincent) Strittmatter of Louisville Kentucky. Memorial service will be on April 28th at Turner Funeral Home, viewing starts from 12PM to 1PM, the service will start at 1PM. Any donations wished to be made are requested to be made to your local Hospice care provider by the family.