Paul David Vetter

Paul was born on April 28, 1944, in Benson, Minnesota, the second oldest of Herbert and Muriel Vetter’s eight children. The family moved from their farm in Benson, Minnesota to Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, and then later to Stoughton, Wisconsin. Paul graduated from Stoughton High School in 1962. During his years as a student there, he participated in band, the science club, track, wrestling, and was a member of the National Honor Society and Badger Boys State. He then attended the University of Wisconsin--Madison and earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, followed by an MBA from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio.

Paul’s first engineering job was at Crown Zellerbach in Camas, Washington. In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, Paul decided to join the U.S. Air Force. Lieutenant Vetter’s first assignment was at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California. His military assignments were in Texas, Ohio, Guam, Florida, Korea, Egypt, and California. He retired in 1988 from McClellan Air Force Base after 20 years of military service. Paul then began a second career with the State of California, as a professionally licensed Mechanical Engineer, designing HVAC systems and energy related projects for the California Youth Authority and the Department of General Services. He retired in 2009.

Paul met his wife, Marian, at a military debutante ball in 1969 and they were married in 1971, celebrating their Golden 50th Anniversary with family and friends in 2021. Paul and Marian shared many happy years and memories together, from their military relocations, raising two children, Alaskan cruises, and touring the Philippines, Taiwan, and Europe. Some memorable family vacations that Paul planned were to Hawaii, the Grand Canyon, and to Yosemite to summit Half Dome. Paul shared a close friendship with his father-in-law, Frank, whom he regularly played golf with and helped provide care for in his later years.

Paul will be remembered for his kind and humble nature, being helpful, detail oriented, and his unique humor. He was skilled at doing home improvements; volunteered as a deacon at his church; served on the Architectural Review Committee at Roseville Sun City; and looked forward to trips to Wisconsin to visit his siblings and parents. Paul enjoyed spending time with his precious grandsons, family, and friends. He also liked reading, planning trips, hiking, photography, golf, working out at the gym, and taking his Pekingese dog, Molly, on walks.

Paul is survived by his devoted wife, Marian, son, Dan Vetter (Lisa) and daughter, Deborah Yost (Richard); four grandsons: Landon Vetter, Hudson Vetter, Eli Yost, and Jonas Yost; seven siblings: Bob Vetter, Marlys Wulfsberg, Ruth Vetter, Gary Vetter, Janice Vetter, Harold Vetter, and Lois Anderson.

Paul’s final resting place is the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California.