Paul Rasmussen Obituary

Rasmussen, Paul G.
1/27/1939 - 12/14/2023
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Paul G. Rasmussen, devoted husband, loving father, proud grandfather, and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Macromolecular Science & Engineering at the University of Michigan, died peacefully on December 14, 2023, at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after a three-year struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 84.
Paul George Panduro Rasmussen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 27, 1939. He was the only child of Reverend Paul George and Lillie Andrea Petersen Rasmussen. The family moved to Kenosha and then Neenah, Wisconsin, where Paul worked numerous odd jobs, loved to swim in Lake Michigan, played high school tennis, and nurtured his passion for science by running experiments with a chemistry set in the basement of the parsonage. He graduated from Neenah High School in 1956 and then attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.
At St. Olaf, Paul majored in chemistry, played varsity tennis, and met the love of his life, another only child from Wisconsin, Velma (Val) Elizabeth Smith. The two graduated in 1960 and were married in Wisconsin a week later. After their wedding, the two moved to East Lansing, where Paul began graduate studies in chemistry at Michigan State University while Val taught grade school. Paul received his Ph.D. from MSU in 1964 and that fall he accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. By the mid-1960s, the couple had three young daughters.
Paul continued as a full professor conducting research and teaching at the U of M for 42 years. During this time, he twice served as an associate dean for research in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts for a total of eight years. He was deeply involved in the design and construction of a new chemistry building on campus, guided numerous graduate students through their Ph.D. studies, and regularly attended Michigan basketball games. In 2006, Paul retired and became an emeritus professor. Eager to continue his research after his retirement, Paul founded and operated a company that studied cutting-edge battery chemistry.
Paul's scientific research included collaborations with colleagues around the country and abroad. He and Val (and sometimes the whole family) soaked up the sights in locations ranging from California to Florida, Spain, and Korea and made lifelong friends. A notable highlight was the year the family, including Paul's mother Lillie, spent in Denmark in the 1970s, culminating in a tour across Europe in a VW camper bus. Travel, camping, and outdoor recreation became cherished and regular family activities. Later, Paul and Val enjoyed welcoming family and friends to their mountain cabin in Colorado.
Throughout his life, Paul enjoyed building and construction and always seemed to have a project to work on. He obtained his residential builder's license, which came in handy as he built a family home near the Huron River with a clay tennis court in the backyard. He later built a retirement home on an adjacent property for Val and himself. He was known to show up at his daughters' homes with his tools in hand, ready to make repairs or build a deck.
Known for his generosity of spirit and sense of humor, Paul could liven any gathering. He shared his love of tennis by teaching his daughters and several grandkids to play. While he was a scientist at his core, Paul also had a great appreciation for nature; he loved music of all kinds and, in his later years, traded the chemistry lab for the kitchen lab, where he became an adventurous cook. He had a curious mind. He devoured books and newspapers and enjoyed talking with his grandchildren about their interests. His family and friends will greatly miss his wisdom and wit.
Paul's parents preceded him in death. Paul is survived by Val, his adored wife of 63 years, their three beloved daughters and their spouses: Lorin and Robert Bryce of Austin, Texas, Erin and Matt Warhol of Stillwater, Minnesota, and Marit Rasmussen and Mark Woodham of Ann Arbor, and Pentwater, Michigan, and grandchildren: Mary Bryce, Michael (Bethany) Bryce, Jacob Bryce, Jack Zdechlik, Claire Zdechlik and Tommy Woodham.
There will be a celebration of Paul's life early in 2024 at a date to be announced. The family suggests that donations may be made in Paul's memory to Doctors Without Borders: donate.doctorswithoutborders.org or St. Olaf College: wp.stolaf.edu/giving.