Paul Weldon

Paul Jess Weldon
1924 - 2017

Paul Jess Weldon born February 22 ^, 1924 to Harry Benjamin Weldon and Florence Elvira Gillam Weldon in Salt Lake City, Utah passed away at the age of 93 on April 2 ^, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Our dad was a true gentleman with a heart of gold and devoted in every way to his family, both the family he was born into and the family he raised.  Dad thought the chance for marriage had passed him by but lucky for all of us he met our mom, Donna Rogers, when he was 36, and after a long-distance courtship with mom in San Francisco they were married on September 16, 1961.  Dad always said, “Donna was different than any other girl I dated.”  They bought their first and only house together on 1800 East and put down deep roots.  Dad desperately wanted to spend his final years in his home and we are grateful that he was able to do so, thanks mostly to son Stephen who lovingly saw that all of dad’s needs were met.  Mom and dad celebrated their 40 ^th anniversary before her passing in 2001.  Dad was Santa himself and he made every Christmas magical and perfect.  He and mom started a family tradition soon after they were married of having a Halloween party up Millcreek canyon with chili, cider, donuts and candy!  Dad could well be called the candy man, he loved all things sweet; pastries, donuts, Snelgrove’s Ice-Cream, but especially CANDY!  See’s Chocolates were standard on every family vacation and holiday.  Dad loved family vacations to Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Bear Lake, and San Diego.  He had a 1948 International which he built a custom camper for. Wheather the family trips had us 4 kids riding along, unrestrained in the camper, or in the back seat of the car we were always happy to be together.  Dad was not only an outstanding provider for his family but he spent all of his free time with us, (except his weekly gym nights with his brother, George.) As a child, dad wasn’t allowed to have a dog or cat but he had pet chickens and he named each one of them.  One day he came home from school and couldn’t find Blackie, only to discover his mom had Blackie cooking on the stove top for her friend’s luncheon.  Dad and his brother George would hold “funeral services” for dead birds they would find.  They would pull the bird in their wagon to the burial plot, say a few words, burry it, and return a few days later to unbury it to see how it was doing.  Dad was industrious and a skilled wood worker.  He loved to make lists, keep a yearly journal, balance his check book to the penny, and keep things neat and orderly.  He took great pleasure in playing his baby grand piano, and could sit down and play hundreds of songs from memory.  Dad proudly served in the Army in WWII.  He graduated from South High and LDS Business College.  He retired from Mountain Fuel Supply in 1987.  He was a 32 ^nd Degree Mason of the Masonic Order and member of Wasatch Lodge #1.  Proceeded in death by his parents, brothers Fred and George.  Survived by children, Sally (Randy) Peterson, Stephen, Sue (Shawn) Fletcher, and Jane (Shaun) Saylor.  Ten grandchildren, Steven, Adrianne, Ashley, Porter, Seth, Jess, Olivia, Ellie, Billy, and Ross.  Five great-grandchildren with a great-grandson due in June.  Also, sister- in- law Leone Rogers.  A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 6 ^th from 6-8pm at Cannon Mortuary, 2460 East Bengal Blvd. Cottonwood Heights, UT.  A private family grave side service will be the following day.  Interment at Elysian Burial Garden.  Dad had a great sense of humor, attested to by this hand written list we discovered in his wallet upon his passing:

Paul’s Eight P’s for Old Age

-Play

-Putter

-Pamper

-Pace

-Plan

-Pee

-Poo

-Paralyzed