Paul J. Hansen

Boulder, Utah - On Wednesday, January 10, just a few days short of his 78th birthday, Paul J. Hansen—cowboy, rancher, and friend extraordinaire--died from complications of COPD at Bennion Veterans Home in Payson, Utah.

Paul was born January 16, 1946, in Salina, Utah to Paul Vern Hansen and Emma Jane Heaps Hansen. He grew up in Boulder, Utah, where, as a child, he worked on his parents’ ranch and chased cows from the Escalante River and the Circle Cliffs to Boulder Mountain. From a very young age, he ran with a group of cowboys, and had a very rough-and-tumble childhood. He spent many nights sleeping under the stars or sitting around a campfire drinking cheap whisky with the likes of Clyde King, Bruce Wilson, and Kirk Lyman.

He graduated from Escalante High School, where his easy-going ways and boisterous, mischievous personality made him very popular. He was never without a friend.

Paul joined the Air Force in 1965 and served during the Viet Nam war.

After the war, Paul came back to Boulder and helped his parents run the ranch until their passing, at which time, he took over the entire operation.

For some time, he also worked road construction and for the Garfield County road crew with Arthur Lyman and Anthony Coombs.

Paul was married twice, very briefly, but, according to him, “they didn’t take.”

He was a beloved member of “The Codger Committee” who sat at Billie’s place—Burr Trail Café—for hours drinking coffee, swapping stories, and generally solving the world’s problems.

Paul was a colorful character. With a booming, gravelly voice, perpetually-gravity-defying, low-slung jeans, mischievous grin, and a wicked-quick wit, he commanded a wide presence. Paul was rarely at a loss for words and could tell it like it was without skipping a beat. He had little patience for arrogance and many a person who underestimated Paul by his outward appearance left an interaction with him duly humbled.

For years, Paul drove a red Cadillac convertible to which he fastened a set of Texas Longhorn horns as a hood ornament. That car embodied Paul—bold, colorful, and slightly outrageous. He cruised the streets of Boulder wearing a giant cowboy hat, a smoke in one hand, and the other hand (mostly) on the steering wheel.

A gourmet chef he was not. If he couldn’t cook it over the fire or in a microwave, it wasn’t worth cooking. He was a fool for Vienna sausages, and EZ cheese on crackers. He was known for his “Microwaved Brook Trout” recipe which involved a freshly caught trout, and lots of lemon pepper and butter cooked in a baggie in the microwave. It didn’t earn him any potluck invitations, but it suited Paul just fine.

Paul genuinely liked people. He was completely comfortable in his own skin, which may have contributed to him treating everyone as equals. He didn’t ever grovel nor try to impress, and he never looked down on anyone, no matter how unfortunate their circumstances. He had a soft spot for people who were marginalized or mistreated, and he was always willing to help whomever he could. He was happiest when he was lending a hand.

Paul lived a “charge Hell with a water pistol” kind of life, and the world is quieter and less colorful with his passing, but we hope that he is chasing cows or sitting around a campfire with the cowboys he used to ride with, a twinkle in his eye and a story ready to tell.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Vern and Emma Jane, and his sisters, Anna Lee and Delores. He is survived by numerous friends throughout Southern Utah.

Memorial services will be held at a later date. Interment in the Boulder cemetery with military honors.