Paul Douglas Maxwell's Obituary
Paul Douglas Maxwell was born on April 21, 1958 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the youngest of 6 boys. Doug grew up in Omaha and during his school years played basketball, football and was part of the diving team. He graduated from Benson High School in 1976. Doug then attended Jr College until joining the Coast Guard in August of 1978. While in boot camp Doug was awarded the Marksman Rifle Ribbon and Expert Pistol Medal. After boot camp he went to Radioman training in Petaluma, California where he graduated with honors. During his time in the Coast Guard, he served proudly as a Radioman during a deployment on a boat patrolling the waterways around Cuba and Haiti. His final deployment was a radioman for the Tennessee River Authority until his Honorable Discharge in 1982. Once Doug left the Coast Guard he came to Tulsa, staying with his brother Randy and went to work in Route Sales. Within 3 weeks of moving to Tulsa, he met Tina and on June 18, 1983 Doug and Tina were married. They added to their family when Zachary Douglas was born on October 2, 1989 and again when Sarah Ann was born on September 30, 1991. Doug continued to work in Route Sales until 1995 when he decided he wanted a change and became a Car Salesman. He worked for Eldorado Motors for the next 16 years when he had to medically retire due to unfortunate health problems. Doug worked hard to overcome his disabilities and still strive for many years until his tired body succumbed to those heath issues on July 16, 2021.
Doug was a good man, had a great sense of fairness and had a very kind heart. He was a hard worker and always went the extra mile to do what was needed to be done at any job he had. Doug had a good sense of humor and silliness about him to try a get a smile out of you. I remember his boss telling me stories of Doug’s shenanigans. One such story of how they all smiled and cringed at the same time as he walked through the showroom singing, not very well and then laughing as his coworkers shook their heads and tried to walk away from him. As they walked away, he would wave at them.
Doug would always try to help anybody in any way possible. Many nights he would come home later than usual and when I would ask what happened he would tell me he stopped to change a flat tire for someone on the side of the road during a rainstorm or help push a car out of the ditch during a snowstorm. He would be mowing our yard and would just keep on going, mowing an elderly neighbor’s yard without missing a beat shaking his head no when they would offer to pay him. He would say, we are neighbors right. Through his years in the route business, he would always have a huge bag of dog food in his truck to feed all the stray dogs he came in contact with at many of his rural stops. I continued to buy pet food when he went into the car business so he could feed all his stray cats at the lot. Doug enjoyed serving at our church as an usher, on the yard committee or helping with anything else that was needed. He loved to volunteer in the nursery getting down on the floor and playing with the kids, but his favorite thing was rocking the babies. That was just who Doug was, wanting to serve anyway he could and help anybody he met.
I didn’t get store bought cards for my birthday, Doug would make up poems and leave them all over the house for me. He was always leaving me notes and writing me letters. I would find them in by books, on the kitchen counter or even in the bathroom. If the kids had friends over he would play games with them, get involved in a nerf gun battle, pretend to eat mud pies, tell a ghost story or make them all pancakes. If he had a hose in his hand you better start running because he was going to get you wet. When Sarah would sleep over at a friend’s or go to camp if she left her stuffed bear Tommy behind, she would ask her dad to sleep with him so Tommy didn’t get lonely. After she would leave, I would say Doug you really don’t have to sleep with him and he would say, oh yes I do I promised.
Doug loved to bowl and was a very good bowler, go fishing, play golf, play basketball, honestly play sports of any kind especially with the kids. Doug started taking Karate lessons when he was in the service and continued this after moving to Tulsa. He spent several years pursuing Karate training, increasing his belt levels and loved to participate in tournaments achieving so many trophies we had to buy a bookshelf for them. Doug wanted to try going to the next level and became a Professional Karate Association fighter. He trained under Dale “Apollo” Cook and was featured on ESPN twice. For the next 3 years Doug participated in many Karate fights and I can proudly say never lost a bout. He loved to watch all sports on TV, even golf but especially loved to watch football. Needless to say, Doug was a huge Cornhusker fan but would route for most of the teams in the big 12 before that was changed, unless of course they were playing Nebraska. Many, many hours were spent yelling at the TV while Nebraska was playing. If the phone would ring during the game from his friends trying to tease him, he would tell me to inform them he was not taking phone calls at this time. Doug loved spending time with friends and family. So many evenings spent playing dominos and cards when my brother was in town, with the teasing, shouts and laughter going on for hours. He would always just smile that grin while we were teasing him for taking forever to lay down a card or domino and saying repeatedly good, good, good as he laid it down. There were so many get togethers for birthdays, holidays and vacations that always included his in-laws that he said were his family too. He loved them just like his own and they loved him right back. Whenever someone would come by the house, he would answer the door and say, “well get on in here”. Doug’s greatest joy was when he was able to get together and spend time with his mom, until her death and his brothers, their wives, nieces and nephews. He was like a kid in a candy store when we made the trips home to Omaha, when his brothers came to Tulsa or he was on his way to the many family get togethers at the lake. Whenever those boys got together there was lots of teasing, one liners and puns thrown around as well as old stories to tell and remanence about and for sure there was always lots of love and laughter. Doug was a good husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend. He was loved so very much.
Doug is survived by his wife of 38 years Tina, his son Zachary Maxwell, daughter Sarah Anderson, son-in-law Devin Anderson, grandchildren Bently, Paityn and Shane. He is also survived by brothers Richard Dunaway, Terry Dunaway and Roger Maxwell as well as sister-in-law’s Nancy, Sharon and Evelyn – nieces and nephews Richard Jr, Scott, Brant, Teresa, Terry Jr, Randy Jr, Tiffany, Roger Jr and Carrie.
Doug was proceeded in death by his Mother and Father, Lorraine and Bob Maxwell, Brothers – Tommy Dunaway and Randy Dunaway, nephew – Tommy Jr and niece Camille.
Doug, it has been so hard watching you struggle and your body not letting you do the things you wanted to do. It was even harder to watch you slip away and for us to say goodbye for now. We know you are now walking through the splendor of Heaven with strength and health once again. So many wonderful memories and the picture in our minds of you whole again will fill the empty place in our hearts in the days ahead. Life on earth is not forever but love is, it lives on through eternity. You also go with the assurance that your legacy lives on through your children and grandchildren. We will miss you so much till we are together again.
Love always, Tina, Zachary, Sarah, Devin, Bently, Paityn and Shane
Visitation will be 4-6 pm, Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at Floral Haven Funeral Home.
Funeral Service will be 12:30 pm, Thursday, July 22, 2021 at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel.
To view webcasting of service use link below:
http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/57288/hash:A8D9319DE6D144AD
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