Paul Ward Kauffman

⭐️Sunrise: June 16, 1929 Fordyce, AR

✝️Sunset: August 15, 2018 Sugarland, TX

Paul Ward Kauffman , passed peacefully from this world towards the light and through Heaven's gate - on Wednesday afternoon, August 15, 2018, with closest family by his side as well as whispering in his ear from Arkansas and Norway. He was 89 years old.

Paul Ward was the 3rd of 3 children - all boys - born to James Henderson and Martha Lucinda (Burford) Kauffman of Fordyce, Arkansas. He was actually born in the County Jailhouse in downtown Fordyce - on Sunday, June 16, 1929 - as his father was the county Sheriff. At Fordyce High School (grades 7-12) he played all 3 sports and track but his first love was football. This is the same high school where legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant(1913-1983) in his senior year - lead Fordyce to an undefeated season and the 1930 Arkansas State High School Football Championship, for the first time in school history. And these were the days when you played "both ways". Paul Ward played tight or split end on offense and end on defense. He excelled at pass receiving thanks to decent but shifty speed, good eyes and what all the best receivers have: "soft hands".

After graduating from Fordyce High School, Paul Ward enlisted in the Army National Guard of Arkansas in June 1948. There, for 2 weeks during the summer for the next 5 years, he learned and practiced how to drive tanks, shoot mortars, anti-tank grenades as well as attaining "sharpshooter" status with combat rifle and "marksman" with a pistol. At the same time, Paul Ward - being proficient with numbers and math - decided to go to Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway, Arkansas and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. The college is known today as the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), following it's 3rd name change in 1975. One of Paul Ward's six grandsons - Jonathan Kauffman - graduated from his Alma Mater in 2015 and his youngest grandchild - Karson Kauffman - began at UCA in August 2018. While at Arkansas State Teachers College, Paul Ward developed a love for and excelled in a new sport for him: TENNIS - especially doubles: winning the 1952 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference Championship in Men's Doubles.

After college in 1952, he got his 1st job just 30 miles away from Fordyce, in Camden, Arkansas at the Shumaker Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD). But it wasn't until 1955, when he was hired by construction giant Brown and Root - that his destiny was set. Brown & Root had just entered a joint venture with T.L. James & Co. Inc. and created the Louisiana Bridge Company(LBC), which would go on to be the largest pre-stressed concrete fabricator on the planet. The objective was to build what would be and still is today the longest bridge in the world: The Pontchartrain Causeway. Brown & Root sent their young accountant - Paul Ward - to be on site at the LBC, located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, in Mandeville, Louisiana. It was there on his 1st day - when he stepped into the main reception - that he met his wife to be: Jeanne-Marie Smith. A relationship developed, romance ensued and they were married on June 30, 1956. Exactly 2 months after their wedding, the Pontchartrain Causeway was opened - in record time - on August 30th. With the project complete, Brown and Root recalled Paul Ward to their main offices in Houston, Texas. Paul Ward and Jeanne-Marie moved to the Houston Metropolitan City of Pasadena. Here their first two children were born: Paul Richard (1957) and Tanya Lou (1958). While stationed in Brownsville, Texas, their 3rd child was born: Lance David (1960). After a couple of more project job moves, they ended up back in Pasadena, where their 4th child was born: John Damon (1962). From there they made their final home move in June 1964 to Walnut Bend on the west side of Houston.

Paul Ward was a great provider and perfect dad, with a keen focus on having his children do well in school and assisting them with their homework - especially math; encouraging them in sports - particularly baseball and football and that they bathed and brushed their teeth every night. Paul Ward also gave family vacation time a high priority. He only had 4 weeks off a year, but he spent it taking the whole family to see grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in both Arkansas and Louisiana. And there were "non-relative" vacation trips as well: to Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico; to Six Flags Over Texas in Dallas, to the Texas Hill Country for horseback riding and day-trips to Galveston.

It was sometime during the early 1960's that he found his next sport to love: GOLF! He played both golf and tennis for decades - well into his seventies - until back and knee problems caused him to give up both. But he still maintained his 3 workouts per week - at several different fitness centers over the decades - until 2015 when dementia appeared. However his main passion, for well over half a century - till nearly the end - had to be watching football games: especially the Arkansas Razorbacks and the NFL teams from Houston (Oilers & Texans) and Dallas (Cowboys). Coming in 2nd place would be watching live TV coverage of both tennis and golf's major events.

In 1973, Paul Ward and Jeanne-Marie agreed to an amicable divorce, which in effect opened the door for him to fulfill his college's motto: "Go here. Go everywhere." Still then with Brown and Root for nearly 20 years and now "single status", he was in the preferred option group for deployment overseas. For nearly nine years - from 1975 to 1984 - he had four(4) overseas assignments, each one averaging around two(2) years. The first was in May 1975 to Jakarta, Indonesia. It was during this assignment - on August 31, 1976 - that Paul Ward's father passed away, he was 85. Brown and Root flew him home for the funeral in Fordyce. His 2nd overseas assignment was in Stavanger, Norway in 1977, at the Brownaker project offices for the construction and offshore hook-up of the largest oil platform in the world - at that time: Statfjord Alpha as well as the ongoing Ekofisk project. During this assignment - at the age of 49 - his oldest son talked him into trying downhill skiing for the first time ever. It also turned out to be his only time, as Paul Ward realized he'd rather stick with the "warmer" sports of golf and tennis. His 3rd overseas assignment was to St. Croix, US Virgin Islands in 1980, for an oil refinery modifications job, where he was payroll supervisor. And his final project was in the Indian Ocean on the British Island loaned to the USA for a Naval Base: Diego Garcia, where he was Payroll Manager.  After returning from Diego Garcia in 1984 and now with 29 years at Brown and Root, Paul Ward took a leave of absence to be with his mother - then 87. He stayed with her in Fordyce until she passed away on September 25, 1985, she was 88. Paul Ward was now 56 and retired. He stayed in Fordyce at the family house on Russell Street for almost 2 years. During this time in his old hometown, he found and perfected a new hobby - one that he would do daily for the next 30 years: "newspaper clipping". Besides reconnecting with old friends and neighbors, on a regular basis he played tennis with his nephews and golf with his brother Charles. In 1987 he decided to move back to Houston, where he would be close to two of his four children - Tanya and John - who had settled down there with their spouses. And for the next near 30 years, Paul Ward was blessed to be able to have and enjoy the fabled "Golden Years". During this time, he truly did what he could - while he could.

About a year after moving back to Houston, Paul Ward - now at the age of 58 - became a rookie " Granddaddy " (as he was affectionately called) with the birth of Joseph Paul Erickson(1988). This would happen 7 more times during the next 11 years: Rachel Marie Erickson(1990); Jonathan Robert Kauffman(1991); Christopher "Clark" Kauffman(1992); Kelsey Denae Kauffman(1995); Kaleb David Kauffman(1998); Paul Michael Kauffman(1999) and Karson Daniel Kauffman(1999). From December 2009 through December 2015 Paul Ward proudly attended the College graduations of his first four grandchildren. He also attended the graduation of his oldest grandson - Joseph Paul - from Medical School (UTMB) with an M.D. Degree in 2014. And he danced at the weddings of his first two grandchildren, also in 2014.

During his "golden years" - besides being a great and wonderful grandfather, maintaining his regular gym workouts and weekly doubles tennis matches - he was always ready and willing to go out for a meal, movie and any family and friend "get-togethers". He was always up for the Burford family reunions in Arkansas; family vacations to Branson or Hot Springs. And he would never, ever turn down - even if it was late and he had already brushed his teeth - a chocolate malt!  Also, with just the right persuasion, Paul Ward was coaxed into going "overseas" again - not for work but for vacation. The 1st time was in 1986 to Acapulco with his youngest son - as a college graduation present. Here, from a Mexican beach on the Pacific Ocean - he was convinced to try "parasailing". Well he did it and just like with the downhill skiing: it was his first and only time. Paul Ward's oldest son got him "overseas" twice. First out to the Bahamas in late 1989, as a belated 60th birthday present. This would turn out to be the last time he would ever be talked into going in the ocean water. "Too cold" Paul Ward said. In 1990, Paul Ward returned to Norway to see his oldest son play in a Norwegian American FootballLeague (NAFF) game. In the game played on Paul Ward's 61st birthday - he got to watch his son get his arm broken in a 56-7 loss by the Bergen Blackhawks to the best team in Norway(Oslo Trolls). But this did not prevent them from taking their epic 2000 mile road trip from Bergen to Berlin. There in Berlin, Paul Ward and Paul Richard got their fair share of the hammered and crumbling Berlin Wall and met legendary Arkansas Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, Frank Broyles.

While still loving to play tennis in his 70's, he was also able to be a mentor to his first grandson, Joseph Paul Erickson. With the perfect combination of knowledge and patience, he was able to instill both the love for the game as well as the skill set needed to allow Joseph Paul to qualify for his high school varsity tennis team. Also, throughout the 90's and into this century, both of Paul Ward's youngest sons would occasionally be in Houston at the same time. They would both challenge their dad to tennis matches - to be played back to back. Then it was funny to see the two brothers invent reasons and excuses why the other brother should play Paul Ward first, thinking this gave the one who played him second a better chance to win, as Paul Ward would be all tired out from the first match. But no matter who played Paul Ward first: he still beat both of them anyway.

Besides Paul Ward's parents, he was preceded in death by his oldest brother, James Richard Kauffman (8-21-2015); his other brother Dr. Charles Edward Kauffman (5-28-2018); his ex-wife Jeanne-Marie S. Kauffman (11-24-2016); his sister-in-law, Ruth Evelyn Morgan(4-22-2010) and his nephew and occasional tennis partner, Kelly Morgan Kauffman(12-17-2013). And some may find it noteworthy to mention that while all three "Kauffman boys" were born during a 6 year span in the 1920's - in less than 3 years, all three brothers have now passed on.

Paul Ward is survived by all 4 of his children and their spouses: Wenche Marie Hamre Kauffman, Joseph Robert Erickson III, Denise Mintie Womble Kauffman and Phyllis Clark Kauffman. All eight grandchildren and his three grandchildren-in-law: Brooke Harvey Erickson; Richard James Cuellar and Bryana Carter Kauffman (who like her grandfather-in-law and her husband - also became UCA graduate, in 2017). His sister-in-law, Barbara Ann Kauffman; 6 nephews: Chuck, Jeff, Tim, Richard, Kurt & Luke Kauffman; 1 niece: Kristy Kauffman and eight 1st cousins: Horace Richard, Harold, Jerrie, Lula Ann, Danna, Judy, Jimmy Nick and Randy Burford.

Paul Ward was surprised on his 89th birthday back in June by his oldest son, daughter-in-law and grandson, when they all flew in from Norway. And if he were here today, he would say that was a great surprise. But he would also say that the best surprise and present was learning - 30 years after becoming a Granddaddy - that he was now going to literally be a "Great-Granddaddy" as well. His 1st granddaughter - Rachel - and her husband Richard, are expecting a little boy in January 2019.

The children of Paul Ward would like to express their sincere thanks and gratitude to the Memory-Care personnel and staff members at Inspired Living, Sugar Land - as well as to the Altus Hospice personnel - for all the care and love they gave and showed their father.

Paul Ward was also known by many as " Big P " and nick-named by John Wayne's leading lady - Maureen O'Hara - " Little Duke" - after they spent a little time together on St. Croix at her charity golf event - which Paul Ward just happened to win. Whatever nickname you knew him by - just like John Wayne, as well as so many of the characters the "Duke" portrayed - Paul Ward was a man of few words. But when he spoke - like the old E.F. Hutton commercial: you listened. And his eyes often told you more than words could ever say: love, joy, surprise, understanding and empathy. And luckily for all close to him, his wonderful sense of humor was still there until the end. But be ready to help him catch his breath, because sometimes he'd be laughing so hard he'd forget to breathe, which would cause a coughing attack and his face to turn Arkansas red. His special laugh will be missed by all. Both his big brothers told the same story about their little brother as an adolescent. That because of Paul Ward's unique laugh - they had to come up with an appropriate nickname for him. And they did! The nickname was: Billygoat. So there's a 4th nickname.

But no matter what name you knew Paul Ward by, all who did know him would agree that he was not only "one of a kind" but was also a "very kind" and "sweet" person. A great man who will be deeply missed by all who had the honor and privilege to know him and to love him - with this being especially true for Paul Richard, Tanya, Lance and John. For Paul Ward really was the most important man in the world - as all good fathers should be - to each of his four children.