Paul E. Garretson

Paul E. Garretson II, of DuBois, passed away on May 22, 2025, with family and friends by his side.

Paul was born on April 25, 1966, at Sisters Hospital in Buffalo, New York.

In the 1970s, Paul's family moved from East Aurora, New York to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Paul graduated from Suncoast High School, Riviera Beach, Florida in 1984, where he enjoyed Charger athletics, student government, and the music program. Paul attended Palm Beach State College and Indian River State College. Paul had an entrepreneurial spirit and opened a state certified environmental testing laboratory, H20 Testing in Stuart, FL. There he serviced the community with quality water analyses for government and private sectors throughout South Florida. Paul also was elected to two terms as a Town of Lake Park City Commissioner. With a charitable heart, he founded the Town of Lake Park Chapter Kiwanis Club and served as their president for years. Paul took his passion for business on the road and spent time working in the construction industry in the Texas, Oklahoma region. During this time, he advised homeowners on storm-related insurance claims.

Paul wanted to be closer to family, so he joined three generations of Robbins/Logan family members and moved to DuBois, Pennsylvania, where he was employed by McAfee/Pace Labs as a microbiologist-scientist 1. Paul loved DuBois and its small-town charm, and he contributed to the community in many ways. He was a board member of the DuBois chapter of NAFCO (Northern Appalachian Film Collective – dedicated to promoting filmmaking and the arts in the region), where his creative energy and charitable nature saw many creative projects emerge in the town. He was an avid reader and loved to show off his collection of books. Paul's passion for the Buffalo Bills led him to be one of the lead podcast members of the AFC East podcast sponsored by NAFCO. Paul also enjoyed Buffalo Sabres hockey. He always kept his Buffalo roots close to his heart and was a loyal, passionate fan. His favorite saying was, "Go Bills!" Paul was often described as charming with a gentle and kind nature. He was fun loving and opened his heart and home to everyone. He will greatly be missed by family and many friends.

Paul was pre-deceased by his father, Paul E. Garretson; stepfather, Allan H. Smith, and stepmother, Joyce Garretson. He is survived by his mother, Judith Robbins; daughter, Brittney Garretson (Donoso); son-in-law Fred Donoso; granddaughter, Madelyn Donoso; siblings: Robin Garretson (Ireland), Brad Smith, David Garretson, and Marcie Garretson (Mahoney); stepsiblings, Bryan Smith, Kim Smith (Niezgoda), Laura Buscemi (Antoine), Lisa Buscemi (Lark); and companion Susan "Susie" Deshotel.

A private graveside service and celebration of life will be held in DuBois, Pennsylvania at a later date.