Paul V. Sundquist

Paul Victor Sundquist, age 82, passed unexpectedly into the arms of Jesus on February 2, 2026 at Regions Hospital, peacefully surrounded by his family. He was born January 20, 1944 in Hibbing MN.

Paul will be remembered for his gregarious personality, zest for life, deep love for his family, and unwavering faith. His life was marked by devotion—to God, to those he loved, and to the values he carried with him throughout his years. Through his family (and those who still smile as they remember him) he leaves behind a legacy of love, humor, wonder, and enduring faith.

Paul was a lifelong learner. He had an insatiable curiosity and wanted to understand the world. He valued education. He graduated from Hibbing High School in 1962; completed advanced studies at Hibbing Community College; St. Cloud State University (BS Accounting), and began a Master’s program at Mankato State University in Marketing.

Paul served his country with honor in the United States Army from 1968 to 1970 during the Vietnam War. During his service, he achieved the highest marksmanship distinction, earning the Expert Rifleman award, and accepted the National Defense Service Medal. He will receive an Honor Guard Ceremony at Fort Snelling demonstrating the country’s gratitude for his military service.

Paul began his working life as a young man in his hometown of Hibbing MN. Laboring in the Taconite mines, never afraid to start something new, Paul went on to build a remarkably diverse career. He managed a Radio Shack during its heyday. He later worked as a surveyor for BRW construction and in business development at Norwest Bank (now Wells Fargo) and City County Credit Union, roles that highlighted his professionalism and his ability to connect with people. Paul also ventured into real estate and finance working as a realtor and mortgage broker for Evergreen Mortgage. He concluded his long and productive working life with AT&T in the telecommunications division retiring at the age of 73.

His professional journey – spanning labor, management, finance, and telecommunications – stands as a testament to a man who was never afraid of hard work, lifelong learning or new opportunities.

Paul found deep joy in the natural world and felt most at home outdoors. He loved being on the water, whether canoeing quiet lakes and camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area or navigating the thrill of whitewater river kayaking in North Carolina and Georgia. An experienced and generous leader, Paul shared this passion by leading whitewater canoe trips for the Sierra Club (where he met his wife) introducing others to both adventure and respect for nature.

In every season, he embraced the outdoors. In 1986 he completed the Minnesota Ironman 100-mile (Century) bicycling challenge. A member of the North Star Ski Touring Club, he savored long days of cross-country skiing, reflecting his endurance, calm spirit, and love of winter landscapes. He accompanied his son David to the National Northern Tier Scout Base in Ely Minnesota where he participated in their winter survival adventure. Venturing on cross-country skis, he pulled a sled of supplies behind him, toward their wilderness destination during the coldest part of January. Still alive, he built a snow quinzee with the scouts and camped in the sub-zero temps notorious at that scout base camp. He did it!

Paul enjoyed hiking. He and Mary took an annual hiking trip along the north shore for many years to hike Oberg Mountain in the fall colors. When Matt was a teenager, Paul hiked with him every day for months while his son built his stamina and trained for a trip to the mountainous Philmont Scout Reservation in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in northeastern New Mexico. They hiked with a fifty-pound backpack preparing Matt’s endurance for elevations up to 12,000 feet. Paul simply encouraged him by hiking at his side as Matt did the hard work of daily discipline that physical conditioning requires.

You’ve probably figured out that Paul was a devoted Scout leader with a steady presence and generous spirit. He shaped countless young men as he raised three sons in two separate families. With Erik he served in Scouts in the Minneapolis councils and with David and Matt he served through Troop 777 in Cottage Grove. Paul became part of The Order of the Arrow as an adult. A mentor, role model, and friend, he believed deeply in the values of service, integrity, and quiet leadership, and he lived them every day—whether around a campfire, on the trail, or in moments of patient guidance. He guided both David and Matt into their role as Eagle Scouts.

Paul had a gift for seeing everything as a great adventure and seeing everyone with an important role in that adventure. As part of that, he made every Scout feel seen and capable. He encouraged others to lead. He was known for not taking over a task and he truly celebrated their achievement as each young boy became a strong man and capable leader.

His lifelong calling was rooted in helping young people become their best selves which frequently meant imparting skills. In 1996 he and Mary bought land in Wisconsin and hired a local Mennonite man to put up the shell of a cabin on a small lake. You guessed it. For the next twenty years, David and Matt learned every building skill as they worked on putting in hardwood floors, fireplace facades, wiring, insulation, walls, a second-story deck and building a dock.

His lake home, even with ongoing projects, held a special place in his heart—a retreat where he could reflect, recharge, and savor the beauty of creation. It was a place of peace, laughter, and connection with family and friends.

Paul was eclectic. He had a deep appreciation for the arts. He enjoyed every kind of music despite losing much of his hearing as a young boy. He especially loved theater, the orchestra, and ballet, finding inspiration and joy in live performance. His eldest son, Erik, fondly remembers growing up with season tickets to the Guthrie Theater, a tradition that helped shape his own lifelong love of the arts and remains a cherished family memory. Paul began introducing his children to orchestra, ballet and theater from the earliest ages. He highly supported our local Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra which encourages children to attend with free or nominal admission and brings their live performances out into the community!

Eclectic. A voracious reader. He loved biographies as well as political thrillers. He read many of the thick David McCullough biographies from cover to cover. It was easy to buy gifts for a man like Paul who enjoyed everything.

Family definitely benefitted from his love of cooking. He enjoyed all aspects of a meal from finding the recipe to preparing the food to serving and eating. One of his favorite past times was surprising his church small group with meals he cooked himself. He frequently scoured his collection of cookbooks for new recipes. His family learned to embrace his quirks. Erik has everyone in stitches when he tells his fancy restaurant story where Paul licked his plate after a piece of delectable key lime pie.

The highlight of Paul’s year while raising David and Matt was planning the annual June family vacation. He started researching the trip in January. He delighted in the hours he investigated new areas to visit and then enjoyed like a kid himself during the June vacation week. He collected a baseball cap with the logo of each national park or region they visited and encouraged the kids to find a coffee mug to remind them of the trip until the next year. As a Home School family, when he focused on domestic travel, he wanted his family to see the United States, its diversity, its people, history and resources. He wanted them to be proud of it and feel part of it.

But he also wanted them to know the whole world. A historical journey through Greece, Italy, Turkey, Santorini and Crete remains a favorite family memory. His children fondly—and with affectionate annoyance—remember how Paul would take forever to read every single historical description along the way, determined not to miss a detail. In Pompeii he demonstrated to his family the still perfect acoustics in their ancient amphitheater.

During a nature-based vacation they ‘tramped’ through New Zealand, saw exotic plants, ten-foot-tall ferns, penguins, and stayed on a sheep farm. They also hiked in the Australian Daintree Rainforest and snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. When the family went to rural China for Matt and Shuang’s wedding, they experienced another diverse culture. Paul loved all of it. His family still laughs at how Chinese villagers walked a long way among the rural rice fields to see Paul’s perfect teeth!

Toward the end of his life, as Paul’s thinking slowed, he spent more time simply being with people. He volunteered as a greeter at the Open Cupboard food pantry in Oakdale. He rented a small apartment at Croixdale Senior Living in Bayport close to his son Matt. As a gregarious extrovert, he wanted and needed to be around people with ready-made easy social activities. When his family visited this new community, it surprised none of them that the residents of Croixdale already greeted Paul by name and knew the description of his perpetually missing cell phone.

Above all, Paul’s life was grounded in his Christian faith. That moment in his life, when he realized Jesus is real, transformed him. He stayed consistently active in his church, local Bible studies, men’s group and prayer teams, quietly serving and supporting others with humility and devotion. A longstanding and committed member of Bible Study Fellowship, Paul’s faith guided his actions and relationships, leaving a legacy of service and steadfast belief.

During his annual June vacation, he always found a local church to attend with his family, and reminded them that we are one body in Christ. He even attended a local small church in a remote area of New Zealand. And, of course, those local congregations greeted and welcomed him with equal curiosity.

During the pandemic he and Mary attended an online church in Brisbane Australia on Saturday nights and were soon connected with that international community and Pastor Mark via zoom calls. Another affirmation that we are one body.

If Paul could end this, he might say,

“Good-bye my friend. Do not grieve. There is so much more.”

“Take the time to meet Jesus yourself. Take the risk to love deeply.”

“And always remember how much I loved you.”

Paul was preceded in death by his beloved daughter Kari Sundquist, his father John Sundquist, his mother Hazel (Guimont) Sundquist, his brother Tom Sundquist, brother-in-law Doug Lindahl and nephew Matthew Lindahl.

Paul is survived by his wife of 35 years, Mary Ezzo.

He is also survived by his sons Erik (Tasha) Sundquist of Philadelphia, David (Tabitha) Sundquist of St. Louis, Missouri, and Matthew (Shuang) Sundquist of Bayport, Minnesota.

Paul showered enthusiastic love on his grandchildren: Dillon and Lily Johnson (Kari), Milo Sundquist (Erik), Kesler, Lucas and Morgan Sundquist (David), Kòukòu and Kǎi Sundquist (Matt). Each of them brought him indescribable joy, hugs and laughter.

Paul is survived by his sister Marlene Lindahl (92) of Hibbing, Minnesota; his nephews Bob Lindahl (Amy) of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and Greg Lindahl (Sue) of Hibbing, Minnesota.

Service Thursday, March 5, 2026, 11:00 A.M. at Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center, 2800 Curve Crest Boulevard, Stillwater with visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Woodbury Community Theater, or Open Cupboard Food Pantry.