Kim Hilton Paulman

Kim Hilton Paulman, 62, of Dexter, Oregon passed away on June 24, 2013 at the Vancouver VA Medical Center Hospice in Vancouver, Washington. Kim was born in Los Angeles, California to Hilton and Bonita Paulman on August 13, 1950. Six months later, the family moved to Oregon and eventually settled on a farm in Dexter. As a teenager, Kim attended Pleasant Hill High School and graduated in 1968. He went on to become a soldier of the US Army, and briefly deployed to Vietnam on a work assignment installing and repairing phone lines. He continued to work in the phone industry for a number of years with the company FirstTel Information Systems. Afterward, Kim became the master of many trades, steadily revealing his artistic strengths in carpentry, landscaping, farming, and leather repair. In 1982 Kim married Ardys Rohrer. That same year, they welcomed their first daughter Tia Jane Paulman, and in 1985, their second daughter Ashley Kate Paulman was born. Kim and Ardys were married for 17 years and shared an abiding friendship despite their divorce. Throughout the years, they enjoyed talking about their family farms, their common interest for Oscar-nominated films, and the love they shared for their daughters. Kim was an adept wine-maker, soap-maker, and cook with an undiscriminating palate. He collected and eventually amassed an entire library of music, of which he considered 'the best medicine.' He was also an avid collector of coins, stamps and anything Lewis and Clark. An award-winning photographer, Kim constantly chronicled his greatest loves of all: travel, family and nature. He was earthy, stubborn, and loyal; an outspoken Republican, imaginative entrepreneur, and a forever friend. But most of all, he was an honorable, unique, and loving dad. He is survived by his daughters, Tia Paulman-Jeffery and Ashley Paulman-Garrison and sons-in-law, Josh Jeffery and Roderick Garrison; grandsons Julian Ramirez and River Garrison; mother Bonita Paulman, sister Linda Paulman, brothers Marc and Bradley Paulman; niece Jennifer Wilkinson, and nephew Jason Paulman. He is preceded in death by his father Hilton Paulman. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests sending donations to the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute or to the Portland VA Medical Center, which serves Veterans in both Oregon and Southwest Washington.