Obituary of Paul Joseph Stiefel

Paul Joseph Stiefel October 15, 1951 – June 20, 2021

Paul Joseph Stiefel, 69, of Eatonville, WA passed away peacefully at home on Father’s Day, June 20, 2021. Funeral Services will be held at 12:30 pm, Saturday, October 16, 2021, with Pastor Ellis White performing the services at Chapel Hill Church in Gig Harbor, Washington. Paul was born in Livingston, Montana to Patricia and Lester Stiefel on October 15, 1951, both of whom preceded him in death. The family later moved to Butte, Montana for several years before transitioning to Kent, Washington. He married his soulmate, Georgia Termer, on December 29, 1973, in Duval, Washington, and they built a life as a team for 48 years. Together they raised three successful and enterprising boys and shared in the love and joy of nine grandchildren from those marriages. He graduated from Kent Meridian High School and the University of Washington and worked as an insurance adjuster in Spokane, Washington and Anchorage, Alaska for 38 years, focusing on large property and liability claims, achieving the highest designation in his profession as a General Adjuster. Ten of those years were spent running his own adjusting firm in Alaska with Georgia by his side as a business partner. After his retirement from insurance adjusting, in an effort to stay active and engaged, he spent three years working year-round on Mt. Rainier, helping to keep tourist attractions in top condition so that visitors could enjoy their journeys to one of America’s crown jewels in the National Park system. All who worked with Paul on Mt. Rainier knew him to be a decent and fair person who always loved to share stories. As a seasoned veteran of life, they sought his counsel and looked to him for guidance. His and Georgia’s house was situated at the base of Mt. Rainier, and he loved to go outside to see “his mountain” on clear days from the comfort of his front yard, and on cold days, from the warmth of his living room. Paul and Georgia raised their three boys; Justin, Patrick and Preston in Spokane, Washington, Mead, Washington and Anchorage, Alaska. Paul enjoyed fishing, hiking, kayaking, walking, traveling, woodworking, reading and spending time with his family. In Mead, he was a “gentleman farmer”, raising cows and chickens and growing hay on a ten-acre parcel of land. In Alaska, he was always seeking God’s perfection, manifested in the ocean, mountains and wildlife of the 49th State. He loved Alaska, and the work Alaska required to make one persevere and survive. As an adjuster, he travelled to all corners of Alaska and spent time in many of its smallest communities and villages. He had a large map of the state on his office wall, and every trip he took was chronicled with a red pushpin to show his stops in the “Last Frontier”. It was an impressive compilation of travels in a vast and harsh environment. In retirement he was always “working on something” or planning a trip to see the grandkids. Throughout his adult life he focused on supporting his wife and three boys in all their endeavors, and was proud of all they had accomplished, always standing behind them and never once seeking the limelight for himself. In that way he was selfless and full of honest humility. He would often comment that from the humble beginnings he had in Montana, he was amazed at all that had been accomplished. Paul believed in fairness, equality and treating everyone with respect and decency. He longed for a time when people could sit and talk to one another about common sense things in an adult fashion, and then share a meal together with laughter and joy. Paul was a strong believer in God and worked to follow Jesus’ teachings, believing always in the power of everlasting life in Heaven for those who seek it. He is survived by his wife, Georgia of 48 years; Son and Daughter-in-Law, Justin and Jennifer Stiefel of Gig Harbor, WA and their children, Tanner (17), Hudson (15) and Kendall (12); Son and Daughter-in-Law, Patrick and Amy Stiefel of Durango, CO and their boys, Gavin (11), Everett (6) and Henry (4); Son and Daughter-in-Law Preston Stiefel and Sara Wiley of Woodinville, WA and their boys, Felix (9), Hugo (7) and Basil (3). He was especially proud of all his grandchildren and reveled in their youthful energy and the plans they made for their futures. He had stories to tell, and he knew when to tell them, and when the audience wasn’t “quite right” to hear them. Those stories he will surely tell when others join him in Heaven. Paul was one of eight children and is survived by his seven siblings: Sister and Brother-in-Law, Patricia & Larry MacIntyre of Bremerton, WA; Sister and Brother-in-Law, Leslie & Conrad Bagne of Bellingham, WA; Sister and Brother-in-Law Kathy & Alan Jeroue of Edgewood, WA; Sister Christina Stiefel of Anchorage, Alaska; Sister and Brother-in-Law, Suzanna (Suzie) and Joe Kujawa of Seabeck, WA; Sister and Brother-in-Law Elizabeth (Libby) and Bob Russel of Anchorage, Alaska; and, Brother Michael Stiefel of Kissimmee, FL. He is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews, colleagues and friends who all enjoyed their time with him. Even as a young man, he enjoyed spending time with nieces and nephews in their infancy, often spending time on the floor trying to teach them to crawl or walk. A crying baby was no match for him, as he would gently walk them around the floor, cradled in safety and warmth, until they fell asleep. To many exhausted parents, he was the “baby whisperer”. All who knew Paul were thankful recipients of his wisdom, humor, humility and friendship. He was generous, honest, trustworthy and reliable. The world was a better place with him in it, and now Heaven has one more Angel helping to spread God’s love. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Paul's name to NW Children's Foundation, an organization close to his son Preston, and his daughter-in-Law, Sara’s, hearts. Donations can be made at https://nwcf.org/donate/