Paul was born in Athens, Texas, way back in 1933, to Claude and Aileen Boozman. They didn't stay in Athens long, though. Soon after he was born, they moved the whole family to Dallas, to this brand new neighborhood that they now call the historic 'M Streets.'
Then, during World War II in 1943, they moved again, this time to a tiny farm in Argyle, Texas, outside of Denton. Talk about a change of pace! These city folks had to learn how to farm from scratch – milking cows, raising chickens, growing all sorts of crops. It was a lifesaver during the war when everything was rationed.
We've heard so many stories about his life on that farm. Milking that cow twice a day? Forget about dating! Keeping those 100 baby chicks warm during a freeze – in the bathroom! Herding over a hundred cats that lived in the barn! Dogs that ate watermelon! And when he was just 14, he rebuilt the tractor engine himself!
He had two amazing sisters, Mary and Justine, both incredibly talented musicians. With his dad traveling for work most of the week, he and his mom really had to pitch in and run the farm.
Education was huge in his family. He and his sisters rode the school bus into Denton to attend the North Texas State Teachers College Demonstration School. He was really involved – played the clarinet and piano, acted in plays, worked on the yearbook. He loved singing in the choir too, something he kept doing throughout his life, even in the Navy Choir and later in the church choir.
Paul graduated high school when he was only 16 in 1950. After taking some college classes at North Texas, he transferred to A&M. The story goes that he packed his suitcase with the nine shirts he got for graduation, hitchhiked all the way to College Station, and they sold the cow!
He was always good at math and engineering, and got his degree in Mathematics and even a master's. The Korean War started while he was at A&M, and wanting to serve his country, he chose the toughest thing he could think of: flying off aircraft carriers. He joined the Navy and went to flight school, graduating in October 1954 as a Marine pilot.
In November of that year, he married my mom, Marian Louise Webb, in Longview, Texas. They had two daughters, Claudia and me.
We have the best memories of growing up with a Marine dad, moving around the country and living in these "gated communities" – military bases!
He was chosen to fly in the Navy's most demanding flight school, the one they later called "Top Gun." He was handsome, almost as good-looking as Tom Cruise, and way more talented. He flew some amazing fighter jets – the FJ Fury, F-4 Skyray, F-8 Crusader, and F-4 Phantom.
In August 1967, he was deployed to Vietnam, right in the middle of the biggest battle of the war, the Tet Offensive. He flew close air support for the Marines on the ground and flew nearly 200 combat missions that year.
The Marines realized they needed to improve their training, and my dad was the perfect person to lead the way. He created MAWTS, the first Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactical training school. He believed in modern training that was based on solid knowledge, not just making things up as they went along. He considered this his biggest contribution to the Marines.
He served 28 years in the Marines, with exciting assignments all over the world – Japan three times, Vietnam, the Mediterranean, retiring as Colonel.
Paul was always active – running every day, and we always had some kind of boat. He taught us and our friends how to water ski. When I was in college, I convinced him to get a sailboat, and we spent many wonderful hours sailing on the Potomac River near where he was stationed in D.C. Later, he got this amazing 45-foot cabin cruiser called the "Penny Sue" that they kept in the Virgin Islands. We also loved going skiing in the winter, and he always bragged about his "superior athletic ability."
He was very involved in our church life. We went every Sunday and most Wednesdays. He taught us the importance of not giving up, encouraged us to study hard, and even put us on "probation" when we misbehaved. I'm so grateful for that – NOW.
His next career move was with Electronic Data Systems – the perfect fit for his brilliant mind and interest in technology, especially things like AI. His first project brought him back to Dallas, where he worked on a team that supported the military's Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS.
EDS moved him around a lot. One of his assignments took him to the Detroit area, where he was part of the team that developed the very first diagnostic system for General Motors.
In Michigan, he met Penny, his future wife, and her two sons, Bradley and Jonathan, who were living in his neighborhood in Birmingham.
EDS took them to Houston and then to Northern Virginia. They've been married for 37 wonderful years, with lots of moves and travels along the way!
In 1996, he retired from EDS and he and Penny moved to a beautiful new community in North Carolina, right on the harbor, with a great golf course. They made a lot of wonderful friends there. He finally had a real workshop where he could indulge his love of woodworking and tinker with his cars. He'd take those cars apart – completely! – down to the last bolt and nut, rebuild the engine, repaint them, reupholster the seats, and then somehow put them all back together again. He had some amazing cars: Alpha Romeos, Porsches, Lotuses, Mercedes... you name it. When the weather was nice, he loved to go boating, play golf, and even volunteered in the community.
Paul never forgot his Texas roots. He's survived by his wife Penny of 37 years, his daughters Claudia McCracken Gerault and Cynthia Henneberger (and her husband, Dwight), seven grandchildren – Laura, Blakeley, Kevin, Kendall, Holly, Presley, and Landon – and ten great-grandchildren: Henry, Ellie, Charlotte, Ashley, Emma, Nicholas, Sam, Lyla, Elliot, and Elizabeth.
A celebration of life for Paul will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, January 2, 2025, at Presbyterian Village North Chapel, 8600 Skyline Dr, Dallas, TX 75243. Please instruct flower orders to be delivered to Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225.
SHARE OBITUARYSHARE
v.1.14.0