Van Paul

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Van Buren Paul, age 70, of Hampton, VA, passed on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Van was born in West Virginia on June 15, 1951, to Dolly and Mike Paul, Jr. His family relocated to Virginia when he was 12 years old. Van spent most of his career working in the road construction industry until 2010 when began working for Newport News Shipbuilding. While his employment at the shipyard was brief, he took great pride in contributing his skills to building ships for our nation’s defense. All those who knew him knew of Van’s life-long love of racing. Until recent years during racing season, he could be found most weekends at Langley Speedway. He was finally able to satisfy his dream of owning several racecars and having a race team. Van is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Cathy; 2 daughters – Tracy Welak (Brian), Kimberly Barney; 5 stepchildren – Cindee Chapman (William), Michael Truitt, Ashley Ragsdale (Philip), Lindsey Truitt, Heather Colley (Mitch); sister – Melba Young (Tate); brother – Freddy Paul (Cherry); 10 grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and his two beloved dogs, Stella and Luna. Van was predeceased by his parents and a brother, Mike Lee Paul. A memorial service will be scheduled for a later date. The family request in lieu of flowers for donations to be made to the American Heart Association in Van’s honor.