Paul Roach II

Colonel Paul Warren Roach II, USA, Retired died at his home in Mountain City, Tennessee, on Veteran's Day 2021 of natural causes at the age of 72. On March 8th, 1949, Paul was born in Rochester, NY, to Marie Roach (née Schmidt) and Paul Warren Roach. He was never a "Junior" and would immediately clarify that point to anyone who might be confused. His penchant for collecting colorful experiences began immediately after his birth. They ranged from brawling at a dance hall with the "city kids" to building snow tunnels that were "so tall you could drive a VW through them if they were an inch." His family moved to Los Angeles when he was in high school. He seized the opportunity to expand his portfolio by becoming a certified SCUBA diver, earning money by scraping the barnacles off the boats of Hollywood stars. He was later promoted to the rank of deckhand on Adam West's yacht. He never confirmed or denied if Batman made an appearance. Paul attended Arizona State University and, after graduating with a degree in Political Science, was commissioned in the US Army. According to Paul, nobody went into Military Intelligence after earning their wings in Jump School and commanding a platoon of tanks. That was the perfect justification for him, so that's what he did. Paul loved using his creativity to plan and execute various capers and hijinks throughout his career. His wall of plaques, awards, and ribbons attest to that, along with his collection of accolades that remain classified. He graduated from both the Command and General Staff College and the US Army War College during his military service. He served in Korea, Japan, Germany, Hawaii, and many other locales, both exotic and mundane throughout the world. During his storied career, Paul was also a dedicated father to his son, Paul Warren Roach III. He loved creating exceptional experiences for his son and those he loved and never passed up a chance to seize whatever opportunity was in front of him. Whether deer hunting near a mistakenly active missile training range, sweet talking his way into a closed rococo European church, or SCUBA diving in caves with sharks, traveling with Paul was always guaranteed to generate a good story or three. He wasn't happy unless he was exposing his family and friends to new experiences. After retiring honorably from the Army, Paul built a home for himself in Mountain City, Tennessee, which became his base of operations. He loved being in the outdoors, hunting and fishing. Paul also loved playing a part in helping to make his community stronger. As an Elder at Mountain City Presbyterian Church, he was active in supporting those in his congregation and community. Never one to accept "eh, that's good enough," Paul was instrumental in managing and expanding Betty’s Food Pantry and the USDA food distribution service that has changed its beneficiaries' lives. He loved his granddaughters and relished every chance to help shape them and share his love with them. Paul is survived by his son Paul W. Roach III, his wife Jennifer Lee, and their daughters Alexandra and Olivia. He is also survived by his brother Jack and his wife Kathy, and their daughters Christine, Ashley, and Emily. Paul is also survived by Gibbs, his faithful companion. If you'd like to hear more stories about Paul, or share your own, please join us at a celebration of his life officiated by Pastor Daryl Cox at the Mountain City Presbyterian Church on Saturday November 20th at 1:00 PM. At the reception to follow, everyone will have a chance to swap stories, commiserate, and appreciate the contributions that Paul made to each of us and to his beloved United States of America. Paul will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in the near future. Mountain City Funeral Home will be handling arrangements. In honor of both Paul's deep patriotism and love for dogs, if you would like to make a donation please consider donating to K9s for Warriors (www.k9sforwarriors.org). Condolences may be sent to the family through our website at www.mountaincityfh.com The family of Paul Warren Roach II has entrusted his services to Mountain City Funeral Home, 224 S. Church Street, Mountain City, Tennessee 37683.