Paul Zahnen Mead

Paul Zahnen Mead December 19, 1925 - October 8, 2013 Paul Z. Mead passed away peacefully at home in the presence of his wife and daughters. Paul was born and spent his childhood years in Sioux City, Iowa. As a young teenager, he moved with his parents, Cato and Anna Mead, to San Diego, CA. With encouragement from his father, Paul became an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt, skeet shoot, fish, camp, swim and dive for abalone. Following his graduation from San Diego High School, Paul enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he served 4 years. He was trained as a gunner on a fighter plane for WWII. During his military service, he was also trained to be a radio mechanic. Paul was a commercial electrician and a proud IBEW union member. He worked for 42 years out of both IBEW Local 569, San Diego, CA, and IBEW Local 1547, Anchorage, AK. In total, Paul was a 60-year IBEW member. Paul became a Masonic member in 1961. He was a 60-year Brother of Lemon Grove Lodge No. 736 F & A.M., Lemon Grove, CA. His interest in the outdoors led to being a lifetime member of the National Rifleman's Association. Paul met Shirley LaFortune through their mutual family connections in San Diego. Paul and Shirley married September 3, 1949 and were together for 64 years. They had two daughters and lived in both San Diego and La Mesa, CA. In 1972, Paul moved his wife and daughters to Anchorage, AK where they lived for 42 years. As an outdoorsman, Alaska provided a challenge that Paul embraced. He was able to combine his love of hunting and fishing with his IBEW jobs that sent him to many rural locations. Paul thoroughly enjoyed the Alaskan life style and in 1976 designed and built his own Alaskan log cabin on the Kenai River. Paul retired in 1989. He and Shirley became "snowbirds" - spending winter months traveling to Arizona and Nevada in their 5th Wheel RV, and spending the rest of the year at their log cabin on the Kenai River. Paul Z. Mead is survived by his wife, Shirley Mead; daughters, Laura Mead, East Wenatchee, WA, and Christine Wright, Anchorage, AK; grandsons, Kenneth Paul Webber, Anchorage, AK, and Jonathan Zahnen Webber, AK & WA; great-grandsons, Kenneth Paul Webber Jr., Kyle Webber and Kevin Webber, all of Anchorage, AK. A private family graveside service was held October 11, 2013 at Evergreen Memorial Park, East Wenatchee, WA.