Michael Paulus

Michael J. Paulus, Sr., died on June 7, 2025. Mike was born on October 5, 1936, in Alexandria, Minn., to Lawrence and Margaret Paulus. His father fought in the Second World War and the Korean War and Mike grew up in various cities across the United States as well as in Japan. His father’s last post was at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Wash., and Mike graduated from Clover Park High School. He also graduated from the University of Puget Sound where he met his future wife Sally, and later obtained an MPA from the University of Washington. A geologist by training, Mike worked for a number of engineering firms and later started a company that conducted environmental assessments. Mike and Sally lived most of their working lives in Bellevue, Wash., where their only child, Michael J. Paulus, Jr., was born. After retiring, Mike and Sally moved to Gig Harbor, Wash., where Mike enjoyed raising dahlias, playing golf, and attending Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his son and his family—Michael, Vicki, Junia, and Elizabeth Paulus—and his sister Kay Fauser.