Yesh Paul Puri was born September 20^th 1929 in Sangrur, Punjab, India to Dr. Jawahar Lal Puri and Satya Wati Puri. Paul spent his childhood in Sangrur. When he was 21, he immigrated to the US to finish his education. He earned his Ph.D in Agronomy and Crop Science at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Shortly after graduating, Paul secured a position with the University of California at Davis as a plant research geneticist. For most of his career, he was head of the UC Davis Agricultural Field Station in Tulelake, California. Paul loved his job, he loved the people he worked with, and he loved where he lived, feeling completely at home in his small, friendly, rural community of Tulelake.

 

In 1962 his first daughter was born, Leila Dian, followed by a son, Jay Paul, in 1964. He married Catherine Marie, his wife of 39 years, on April 4^th, 1971. He became a loving stepfather to her three children: Leta Marie, Rita Eulalie, and Mitchell Floyd. In 1974, Paul and Catherine had their youngest son, Paul Nathan.

 

Paul is preceded in death by his wife, Catherine, and his two sons, Mitchell and Jay; as well as his two brothers Inderjit and Vijay. Paul is survived by his brothers Surinder and Vinod; his sister, Manju; his daughters Leta, Eulalie, and Leila, his son Nathan; his nephews Manoj and Manish; his grandchildren Audra, Benjamin, Joshua, Galilee, Natalie, Laurelie, Aaron, Emmalie, and Jesse, as well as 15 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

 

Paul was a wonderfully kind and gracious man. He was loved and adored by many. We will never forget how loved and welcomed you made each and every one of us feel. We will always hold our memories of you close and we want you to know how thankful we were to have you as a father, an uncle, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, and a friend. Rest in the arms of the angels, sweet Papa, and we will see you soon in glory, when we, too, get to ride on the wings of the wind.