Eric Howard Paulson

Paulson, Eric H.
Eric passed away on December 28, 2025 after a five-year, hard-fought battle with his health - like a true soldier, he fought to the end. He lived a life defined by service, resilience, and innovation. He was born on April 24, 1945 in South Bend, Indiana, to Howard E. Paulson and Jane (Mix) Paulson.
Eric is survived by his wife of 40 years, Karen W. Paulson; daughter, Natalie (Jim) Ogg, daughter, Janel Olson Novachis (Michelle), and son, Josh (Natalie) Wright; 11 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his four siblings Dan (Lori) Paulson, Andy Paulson, Jeff (Karen) Paulson, Cheran (Rick)Croasdale, and numerous nieces and nephews. Eric grew up in South Bend alongside his three brothers - Dan, Andy, and Jeff - in a close-knit family shaped by strong values and early responsibility. His father was an executive in the family's municipal supply business, while his mother courageously battled multiple sclerosis throughout their youth. He attended Monroe Grade School and St. Matthew's Parochial School, where his love of athletics flourished. Football, basketball, baseball, and competition of all kinds were central to his early life.
The family spent cherished summers at a small cabin on Birch Lake in Vandalia, Michigan. Those summers, filled with lake adventures and independence, left a lasting imprint on Eric's character. Prior to his senior year, his family sold their business, his mom entered a nursing home, and the family moved to Wisconsin, a time Eric noted as transformative.
Eric attended Augustana College on a football scholarship before transferring to the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Due to an injury, it ended his collegiate athletic career, prompting him to leave school and enlist in the United States Marine Corps in 1964. While serving, he distinguished himself by earning Platoon Honor Man and multiple Battery-Level Honor Man awards. In 1966, he was deployed to Vietnam with the 155th Self-Propelled Gun Battery in Chu Lai where he fought on the front lines as a forward observer. He was honorably discharged in March 1967 after completion of his service.
Following his military service, Eric entered the music industry, beginning a career that would transform independent music distribution in North America. In 1983, he founded Navarre Corporation, which grew into the largest distributor of independent music labels and artists in the US and later became a leading distributor of consumer software and video games in the United States. Under his leadership, Navarre expanded to more than 850 employees and generated approximately $700 million in annual revenue. He took the company public in 1993 and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for more than three decades. Eric also acquired NetRadio, one of the world's first internet radio platforms. Initially a Navarre subsidiary, NetRadio became a separate public company in 1996 where he served as Chairman.
Throughout his career, Eric served on numerous boards, including the Minnesota Orchestra, the Children's Cancer Research Fund at the University of Minnesota, the Recording Industry Association of America, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), FUNimation Anime, Encore Software, Lafayette Country Club, among others. His work and leadership were widely recognized in publications such as Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, and The New York Times. BusinessWeek named Navarre one of the nation's "Hot Growth Companies" in both 1994 and 1996, and Eric received NARM's Presidential Award for Sustained Executive Achievement as well as their Lifetime Achievement Award. His entrepreneurial journey is featured in Bootstrap to a Billion by Dr. Dileep Rao.
Committed to lifelong learning, Eric completed executive education at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and the Harvard Board Development Program at Harvard's Business School. He also shared his life experiences publicly, including presentations on the Vietnam War and the lasting impacts on its soldiers.
Before retirement, he and Karen had a second home on Hilton Head Island, SC for 22 years. Loving the arts, they were involved with the Art Center of Coastal Carolina and brought in artists, such as Judy Collins to perform. Their love of adventure took them to Costa Rica after retirement to build a home in Playa Flamingo where they quickly became a large part of the community. It was also in Costa Rica that Eric became a licensed Gyrocopter pilot, purchasing Songbird and inspiring many adventures, including a two-week-long flight through Central America with his lifelong best friend Bill Hall.
And if that wasn't enough, in 2013 he and his daughter, Janel began renovations on a dilapidated building and made it into a beautiful, award-winning restaurant, Victor's on Water in Excelsior, MN., as he felt Excelsior needed a fine dining experience. He loved and lived on Lafayette Bay for over 45 years.
In 2024, he spent hours learning how to navigate and create his own podcast on YouTube Life is but a Dream with Eric, so he could connect with friends to discuss growing older and whatever else. He was able to complete one podcast before he began to lose his voice.
Eric Paulson will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and mentor to many. He was a driven leader, a proud Marine, a visionary entrepreneur, and a pioneer who helped to shape modern music and digital distribution. He will be sorely missed by many, while his legacy lives on through his family, the industries for which he was integral, and the many, many lives he influenced through leadership, mentorship, service, and love. If you were to ask him his greatest accomplishments in life, he would say his family and friends.
We would like to thank Lacey Wheeler and her staff for getting us through this most difficult time, as we couldn't have done it without her and God.
Mass of Christian Burial for Eric will be held on January 30, 2026 at 11:00am at the Church of St. Bartholomew, 630 East Wayzata Boulevard, Wayzata, MN followed by a Celebration of his life at the Lafayette Country Club, Minnetonka Beach.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Disabled Veterans or Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF).