John Paul, 66, Owatonna

John Peter Paul died on Thursday, July 14, 2022 in Owatonna.

He was born in Minneapolis on Feb. 17, 1956 to Charles and Mary (Peterson) Paul.

Mass of Christian Burial was Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Owatonna. He was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

He grew up in Coon Rapids and joined the Marines at the age of 17. He earned his GED in 1973 while in the military. He served in the Vietnam War and was involved in the Fall of Saigon in 1975. He was honorably discharged in April of 1976. John returned to Coon Rapids after serving in the Marines and was married for a time and had two sons. The couple later divorced.

While working at Twin City Testing, he met Stephanie Olson in 1985. They moved to International Falls and John began attending school for an Associate’s degree. John and Stephanie were married at their home in International Falls on July 14, 1990. The couple had one daughter, Hanah. They moved to St. Cloud where John continued his education at St. Cloud State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree and then a Master’s Degree in History. He was offered a position as an archivist for the Diocese of Phoenix and the family moved to Phoenix. The couple later divorced. After several teaching jobs at the college level, John married again and worked as a professor of history at Florida State. The couple had one son together and later divorced. At that time, John moved back to Minnesota. John was very passionate about history, was an avid reader and loved to write. He was a very popular professor due to his dynamic, relatable personality. He will be missed for his spontaneous laugh and ability to ‘tell it like it is.’ John is survived by three sons and one daughter Hanah (Andrew) Bonilla, two grandchildren Wyatt and Porter, one brother and two sisters.

He was preceded in death by his parents.