Paul Dennis Toombs

Paul was born in Spokane, WA and spent the early part of his childhood there.  In his middle grade school years his family moved to Southern Oregon in the Roseburg area. That was a great place for a growing boy to have many outdoor adventures. As adulthood approached he enlisted in the Navy. Military life completed the growth of boy to man. From the frigid Aleutian Islands to the tropical home port in Hawaii these years left a great impression on this young man. Time was also spent in the waters of Vietnam.  Paul took pride in the four years he served his country.

After leaving the military he began his career in Portland at Boeing, then Precision Castparts. During this time he met the love of his life, Harriet. After a two year courtship they married in 1971. Their family grew with the arrival of Ryan in 1973 and Travis in 1975. The arrival of three year old Bethany in 1986 completed the family. He loved this family deeply and was deeply loved in return.

Paul Dennis Toombs was a quiet, unassuming man. He avoided large groups but those that shared one on one conversations saw his intelligence and wonderful sense of humor.

Paul met the Lord as a young father and husband. Harriet and the boys had found a church home and attended regularly but Paul held back for the first year. But the Holy Spirit was at work and on a Sunday morning when asked by three year old, Travis, "Daddy, why don't you go to church with us?" he was convicted. As he said later, "I didn't have a good answer." The following Sunday he began attending. He was baptized and his quiet faith grew. His faith was deep but not overt...in keeping with his nature.

It is this abiding faith that gives his family who love him so much the assurance that this separation is only temporary and we'll all be together someday in eternity. We find comfort in these  words:



May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16,17



Paul was a family man who is survived by his wife, Harriet; son, Ryan Toombs and wife, Mildred of Milwaukie; daughter, Bethany Toombs and husband, Michael of Vancouver, WA; brothers, Gary of Hayden, AZ, Jon of Milwaukie and David of Philomath; sisters, Cheryl Hall of California, Melissa Kerr of Spokane, WA and Janey Parker of Sutherlin; and two grandchildren.  Paul was preceded in death by his son, Travis, one brother and one sister.