Ronald Keith Paul

Ronald Keith Paul, 75, of Eagle, ID passed away peacefully on February 18, 2021 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by his loving family.

Ron was born November 27, 1945 in Chicago, IL to Rose (Glidewell) Paul and was raised by his foster parents, Mary and John Cooper of West Terre Haute, IN. 

Ron grew up on a family farm, where he enjoyed working outdoors with his foster brother, Charlie. On the farm, he learned responsibility at a young age and developed a strong work ethic that served him well throughout his life. 

After graduating from West Vigo High School, Ron enlisted in the Army and served in the Vietnam War from 1964-1967, in the 19th Combat Engineer Battalion. Ron quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant, earning numerous awards and commendations along the way. He was invited to attend Officer Candidate School, but decided to return to civilian life and was honorably discharged.

Ron’s military experience played an important role in his life, and he often credited the Army for teaching him the value of discipline, teamwork, sacrifice and service. He had a passionate and lifelong commitment to supporting veterans, and was an active member of the Treasure Valley Vietnam Veterans of America, chapter 1025, until becoming too ill to serve. He was a true patriot who loved his country.

After returning from Vietnam, Ron married his high school sweetheart, T. Katie Paul of Terre Haute, IN. At the time of his passing, Ron and Katie had been married 52 wonderful years. Katie was the love of Ron’s life, the two of them were inseparable as not only husband and wife, but later working together as business partners. 

Early in their marriage, Ron and Katie lived in several places across the Midwest before settling in Cincinnati, OH, where they lived and raised their daughters for 10 years. Ron was a dedicated father who was deeply committed to providing for his family. He gave generously of his time and was active in the community doing volunteer work as a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Freemasons. Tona and Sheila have fond memories of their dad flipping pancakes at annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast fundraisers.

Ron and his family moved to San Jose, California in the mid-1980s as part of the second Silicon Valley tech boom. Ron led Western US Sales for Control Data, one of the largest mainframe and supercomputing companies of its time. He would go on to lead Sales and Marketing for the Laser Printer Division at Ricoh Corporation prior to becoming an entrepreneur and founding Laser Logic Inc., an early innovator in laser printer service, supplies, and cartridge remanufacturing. The company made numerous appearances on Silicon Valley Business Journal’s list of “Fastest Growing Private Companies” as he acquired several competitors and expanded the business to multiple locations throughout the Valley. 

Ron gave his daughters and sons-in-law jobs that afforded each of them the opportunity to get valuable work experience early in their careers. Ron and Katie owned and operated Laser Logic together for 20 years before selling the business to enjoy an early retirement. 

This was an enjoyable time in Ron’s life as he had an opportunity to pursue some of his favorite hobbies. The couple moved to a 10-acre property in Gilroy, CA where Ron enjoyed acquiring tractors and farm equipment, and building a barn with horse stables and a riding arena for Katie. He also spent time exploring the area on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, often with Katie on the back en route to a local festival.

This was also the time that Ron’s grandchildren were born. Ron was a loving and dedicated grandfather who was engaged in his five grandchildrens’ lives from the beginning. Among fond memories are trips he took with his grandkids to Yellowstone and Jackson, WY, Sun Valley, ID and the Central California Coast. He enjoyed watching them play sports and cheering from the sidelines.

After several years in Gilroy, Ron and Katie decided to move with their daughter and her family to Boise, Idaho. Those who knew Ron, know that he was not one to relax. He followed his entrepreneurial instincts and came out of retirement to start a coffee business. He operated Idaho Roasting Company successfully for seven years until his health began to deteriorate in 2017. Idaho Roasting was sold and is still thriving today in the Treasure Valley.

Ron was an outstanding husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was a man of great integrity and character, and while he had many accomplishments, the one he was most proud of was his family. He is survived by his wife, Katie Paul of Eagle, ID and his two daughters; Tona Hess, her husband Dave and their sons, Zach and Alex of Boise, ID; Sheila Pascoe, her husband Jim and their children, Kate, Anna, and Sam of Danville, CA. Ron will also be fondly remembered by his foster brothers, Charlie and Jack Cooper. He was preceded in death by his mother and sister, Beverly Hodge, and his foster parents.

A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, March 4 at 2:00 at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise, ID.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Ron’s name to The Wyakin Foundation (https://wyakin.org), an organization that connects wounded and injured veterans to their successful and fulfilling civilian futures through education, development, and guidance. Donations can also be made to The Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (https://netrf.org), the leading private funder of research into causes and treatments of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in the search for a cure.