Commitment and passion defined Paul his entire life, which ended too soon in Scottsdale, AZ, surrounded by family.<br><br>A God-fearing patriot, but, above all, a loving husband, a caring father, an adoring grandpa, a fun-loving brother and a friend to all. A man with an unparalleled zest for life when it came to fishing, faith, country and, especially, taking his granddaughters to the hardware store.<br><br>He will be remembered for much, including but not limited to winning a Special Olympics gold medal with his son with Down syndrome; being an undersized nose guard during his football-playing days; giving advice to the “younger generation,” solicited or not; finding rare treasures in antique stores, and courting his “lovely bride” with whom he had 40+ years of a beautiful marriage – his proudest accomplishment.<br><br>Paul earned a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in management from the University of St. Thomas; and graduated from Cretin High School, both in St. Paul, MN.<br><br>As chairman and CEO of Minnesota Wire, Paul worked his way up in the company from a salesperson in 1985, to president in 1992 and CEO in 2000. He expanded the company’s market exposure to the medical, defense and space technology sectors.<br><br>He was a CEO who identified as the average man; everyone mattered.<br><br>Under his leadership, he and the company received numerous recognitions and, with enthusiasm, Paul gave his time and talent to a multitude of organizations.<br><br>Survived by his wife, Cindy; children, Lauren (Jentzen Kaniho) and grandchildren Nalani and Layla; Kelsey (Brady Gustafson) and grandchildren Grayson, Annalee, Collette and Cody; Max (Rozlyn Paradis); Zachary; Alexandra (Michael Wetherill) and grandchild Lauren with one more any day; and siblings Gail (David) Bush, Brian (Sue), Joan Thompson, Eric, Beth (Kevin) Voigt, Myra Severin, Nori (Jon) Gardner and Marci (Patrick) Doolittle; and dozens of nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by parents Frederick and Nora Wagner; brother-in-law Bruce Severin; sister-in-law Shari Wagner; and great nephew Abraham Flynn.<br><br>A celebration of life will be held 1-4 p.m. on Sun., Jan. 19, at the Pool and Yacht Club, 1600 Lilydale Rd., St. Paul, MN.<br><br>Donations can be made to Treasure House, Glendale, AZ, and Fishing for Life in MN.<br><br>Paul’s Cretin High School senior yearbook quote read: “…to be the best at whatever I do.” You were, Paul, you were.<div></div><br>