Paul Walker Jensen

Paul Walker Jensen, resident of Pocatello, Idaho, passed away at Grace Memory Care on March 28th, 2026 at the age of 80.

Paul was the oldest of seven children born to Ardath Walker Jensen and Max Francis Jensen in Rexburg, Idaho in 1945. When Paul was just 12 years old, his father passed away and left a hole in his heart that never quite healed. In the absence of his father, Paul stepped up to help care for his mother and siblings, taking on various jobs to support his family. He worked hard—moving pipe, raising pigs, and later, working at Call’s Service Station. He also farmed for the Blair Heinz family, showing his strong sense of responsibility and work ethic from an early age.

Paul met Rosalie Kirkwood when she was building a float for the homecoming parade at Ricks College in his mom’s garage. They began dating in March, and by the end of that school year, Paul invited Rosalie to his graduation. To her surprise, it was high school graduation! After a year of dating, they married on May 28, 1965 in the Salt Lake City LDS temple.

After marrying, Paul finished his final year at Ricks College and then attended Idaho State University, where he earned his degree in Architecture. His professional journey began with Pinegar Architects and later, Edward Daniels Architects. Soon after completing his internship, Paul passed the licensing board exam with near-perfect marks, a testament to his skill and dedication.

Paul wanted to return to Idaho and start his own firm. In 1976 he moved to Pocatello, where he partnered with Vern Hancock calling their business The Architect Studio. Later, Paul partnered with Randy Hayes and Keeven Shropshire and named their firm JHS Architects. Paul’s business thrived for 50 years and continues to operate today.

Throughout his career, Paul earned numerous design awards and held leadership roles within the architecture community. He served on Pocatello’s Planning and Zoning Board for 10 years, service and chairman of the Idaho Code Board for 8 years, service to the American Institute of Architects in various offices ending as Idaho State President of AIA over 8 years, and service with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) for over 8 years contributing content for the ongoing tests to qualify new architect candidates.

In 1991, he began flying for Skywest Airlines, where he worked for 15 years before retiring due to the company’s age requirement. Paul’s ability to balance two demanding careers was supported by his loyal architecture partners, who kept the firm running while he pursued his passion for flying.

Paul served in many callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Elders Quorum President, young men’s advisor, service missionary, high councilman, high priest group leader, and building supervisor.

A lifelong lover of travel, Paul took full advantage of his travel benefits with Skywest and Delta. His favorite destination was Denmark, where he made around 15 trips during which he found and loved his Jensen relatives. On one occasion, while returning from an AIA meeting, he found himself in Detroit and was thrilled to discover a direct flight to Iceland. He called home to say he'd be a few days late—because he was off to Iceland! After retiring, Paul continued exploring the world, visiting almost all the states and numerous foreign countries.

Paul and Rosalie raised a wonderful family who he was so proud of: Jared, Wade, David, Natalie, and Nathan. He taught his children the value of hard work and integrity. Working on home improvement projects was a big part of their family life. There was never a time there wasn’t a project in progress. He took them on lots of trips to enjoy all his timeshares and visited many museums. He had a unique opportunity to fly alongside his son, David with Paul as Captain and David as First Officer. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

Paul is survived by his wife, Rosalie Jensen, his children, Jared (Shauna) Jensen, Wade (Deanna)Jensen, David (Florecita) Jensen, Natalie (Thurman) Heiner, Nathan (Misty) Jensen, and his grandchildren: Elise (Jake) Taylor, Chase (Ashtyn) Jensen, Aidan (Maile) Jensen, Kai Jensen, Carter Jensen, Max Jensen, Dane Jensen, Isabell (Jacob) Godfrey, Olivia Jensen, Quinn Heiner, Jens Heiner, Maren Heiner, Deklan Jensen, Deacon Jensen, Dax Jensen, and his great-granddaughter, Holland Jensen. Paul is survived by his sisters Beverly Taylor, Barbara Goss, Elaine Fluckiger, and brother, Gaylen Jensen.

We want to give a special thanks to Grace Memory Care for the love and care they gave Paul in the last year of his life.

Funeral Service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints church building at 8200 West Portneuf Rd, Pocatello, Idaho. A viewing will be held at the church on April 7th from 6pm to 8pm. Funeral services will be held April 8th at 10:30am with a viewing held an hour prior. Graveside services will be at Annis Little Butte Cemetery, 3810 E Menan Lorenzo Highway, Rigby, Idaho at approximately 2:00pm.

Memories and condolences may be shared by visiting the Guestbook below.