Paul Mounts

Paul Mounts was born January 16, 1930 in Marion, KY, son of Milton J. & Ethel May (Donahoo) Mounts.  In 1932, his parents divorced and his mother moved with Paul and his older brother, Claude Earl, to Henderson to be near her family. Paul’s early religious training in the Southern Methodist Church was strict and ultra conservative. He completed K-12 schools in Henderson and two years at Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky. During school vacations from ages 9-14 he worked in tobacco, corn and hay fields of relatives. He later was eager to give talks to church and school groups, and anyone else who would listen, on the ugly, dangerous processes of raising tobacco, denouncing it at every opportunity.

At age 17, Paul was a licensed Methodist minister. His first assignment was as a”circuit rider” to four rural churches in rural Western Kentucky, holding services at a different church each Sunday. In 1949 Paul married Ivadene Bumpus of Mt. Vernon, IL, who he met at Asbury. In 1950 he was assigned as a pastor in Grandview, IN.  He soon became disillusioned with the Methodist Church because of their inconsistency in belief and practice, and resigned from any connection with the Methodist Church. Later, Paul worked in various jobs in Kentucky and Illinois, and later joined the Nazarene Church in Kentucky.  In 1955 he was ordained an elder in the church, pastored churches in Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. Again, Paul became disillusioned with church government, and resigned from the Nazarene Church in 1966 and returned his ordination credentials.

Paul served four years in the US Air Force, assignments were in Mississippi, Texas and Morocco. In 1954, his son, Steve was born in Biloxi, MS. Paul earned a BA in Psychology from Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City and pursued additional studies toward a 2nd BA in Philosophy and Religion. He later pursued graduate studies toward a Master’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Washington.

Paul worked five years with the Washington Department of Public Welfare as a caseworker and casework supervisor; five years with USDA as administrative officer in Food and Nutrition Service; 22 years with the Oregon Department of Human Resources as Medical Policy Analyst, Medicaid Program Manager and Medical Auditor. He retired in 1998 at age 68. He moved to Bandon, OR in 2002 ‘the best place for retirement of all of the other places I have been’.  Paul immediately found solid friends. Paul built his dream home overlooking Old Town, the Harbor and Coquille River Basin and the mighty Pacific Ocean.  Paul served the Bandon Community as president of the Senior Activity Center. He was instrumental in relocating and reconstruction of the Senior Activity Center, one of the major permanent occupants of the rebuilt Bandon Community Center. He was a major supporter of BSAC for the rest of his life. It was here that he learned to play pinochle with some of Bandon’s best

September 19, 2010, Paul ventured into Unity of Bandon, seeking both social interaction and spiritual fellowship. He was surprised and overwhelmed to happenstantially meet the lovely lady who was to become the Love of his life, Dr. Evelyn Fuqua Cook. Paul found in Evelyn both a spiritual and metaphysical guide and comrade. They were married in Honolulu, Waikiki Beach in 2011. He and Evelyn enjoyed traveling many places in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, California and Vancouver and southeast British Columbia. Their relationship continued to grow until he transitioned into other realms of the Universe....

Paul was preceded in death by his mother and brother in 1990. Also preceding Paul in death was Evelyn’s beautiful Maine Coon Cat, Boots, with whom he and Evelyn established a trusting and loving friendship. Boots died in 2020 at 18. They subsequently adopted a beautiful rescue cat Bella.; Paul and Evelyn loved their cats as if they were their children.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn; son Steve & his wife, Karen Girard of Caribou, Maine and cousins in Indiana and Kentucky. Evelyn and many of Paul's long-time friends will miss him.

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