Paul A Butrim

Paul was born on April 30, 1939, in Long Beach, California where his dad was stationed while in the Navy. With his parents, Simon Paul Butrim and Anna Eleanor Butrim (Zajenozkonski), he traveled around the country to where his dad was stationed. Their home base was in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. In his early teenage years, he lived in Waukegan Illinois, and Japan. He remembered the ship that was bringing them home from Japan passing Korea and hearing the fighting in the distance. Paul spent two years in Waukegan where he lettered in football, track, and swimming, He returned to Oak Harbor and finished his schooling there, lettering in football and track and was a Boys State delegate. After graduation from Oak Harbor High School, Paul went to the University of Washington where he pledged to Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. To help pay for his tuition he got a job as a houseboy at the Alpha Omicron Pi house where he met his future wife, Judy Rosina Kipper. They were married on July 28, 1962.

On May 9, 1963, they welcomed their new son Michael Anthony into the world, and one month later mom and son watched as Paul graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Statistics. In that same year they purchased a duplex on Alki Beach in West Seattle. Paul accepted a position at Boeing as an industrial engineer. He worked at the Renton and Everett plants where he made many lifelong friends who enjoyed taking yearly fishing trips and getting together for themed parties. On January 30, 1965, they welcomed into their family Gary Allan who arrived two and a half months early at 3 pounds 5 1/2 ounces. On April 22nd, 1967, they welcomed their daughter Melissa Marie.

In 1968, they bought their home in Bellevue where they have lived ever since. Paul also worked at Tri-Co Construction and then Weyerhaeuser. He formed a partnership with his friend Arne Mortenson and in 1970 started a construction company which they named Sea-Belle Properties. Paul became a full-time general contractor building speculative and custom homes, an apartment building, an office building, and a tilt up concrete building in Bellevue. He was a principal owner of several companies specializing in construction and land development and real estate in the greater Seattle area. In 1997, he bought a mail-order company called Northwest Treasure Supply which he and Judy ran out of their home. In 2002, he bought Tri-Cities RV Park which they ran until they decided to retire in 2009.

Looking for a summer place, they bought property in Desert Aire. Paul and Judy (with blood sweat and tears) built a house designed by their son, Mike, where they could go and enjoy sunshine, golf, and watersports and the family could get together. It was perfect. In his later years, Paul enjoyed golf with his friend Bud and saving the world with discussions at weekly lunch with his friend Ron. He led an active life until Parkinson’s disease gradually took away his abilities to do the things he loved. But even then, he still wanted to take care of his wife and family.

Paul was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Family was the most important thing to him. He was patient, generous, kind, and had a great sense of humor. He would look at you with a twinkle in his eye and you knew a zinger was coming. One of his greatest assets was his ability to look at both sides of a story and was a great negotiator. He loved fishing, golf, sports, and working with his hands. We all thought he had magic fingers because he could fix anything he touched. If there was a part left over it didn’t matter, like when he built a Heathkit television, because it worked anyway. He was a special man.

Paul was our rock and our heart. We will miss him.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that any donations be made in Paul's honor to Parkinson's Foundation at https://www.Parkinson.org and/or Michael J. Fox Foundation at http//give.michaeljfox.org. Thank you.