Paul Sherman Gingrey, 69

Paul Sherman Gingrey, 69, passed away on March 30, 2010, in Pensacola, Fla. Paul, or Frosty, as his sisters and friends called him, was born in Billings to Paul and Grace Gingrey on Nov. 20, 1940. He later moved with his parents and two younger sisters to Kalispell, where he finished high school and went on to graduate from Carroll College in Helena. After his college education, Paul served in the Navy as Lt. j.g. Gingrey, at Pensacola NAS. After his Navy years, Paul was a professional general contractor and later became an instructor at George Stone Vocational School, where he steered his program to build Habitat for Humanity homes. There he stayed until his retirement. Paul was also a volunteer for several years with Boy Scout Troop 602, helping many young boys earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Through all of this, Paul made many lifelong friends, and always was there to help others. His teaching skills were magic. Paul enjoyed many hobbies such as rock polishing, making his own lures for his love of fly fishing, and feeding any and all of the many birds that migrated through his yard in Florida, especially hummingbirds. He fondly referred to any molting bird in his yard as buzzards as they all looked so scrawny without their feathers. Paul could build or fix anything and had every tool one could imagine. He had collected Lionel Train sets since he was a youngster, had fun with stamp collecting, had a huge collection of clocks, and was constantly working on projects around his home and yard, finishing every single one. He was a great cook and gardener, and enjoyed entertaining guests at Thanksgiving. Everybody attending went home with a loaf of fresh bread, baked by Paul. Paul also enjoyed his RV and meeting many people from around the U.S. He especially loved the Rocky Mountains and camped in some of the most remote areas he could find. Paul also researched and put together our Family Tree. Paul is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and one son, Jon Paul, and his wife, Jen, of Pensacola; his sisters, Mary Ann and Max Whitington of Kalispell, and family, and Susan and Ed Cifu of Riverside, Calif., and family; and many nieces and nephews and other relatives, along with a long list of friends. We will all miss Paul very much and will always love his memory. A celebration of Paul s life will be held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to Covenant Hospice, 5041 N. 12th Ave., Pensacola FL 32504.