Paul Richard Hadley

Paul Richard Hadley, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, took his own life on Saturday, December 30, after a difficult and brave battle with Parkinson’s.

Paul was born in Ogden, Utah, on June 1, 1953, to Helen and Russell Hadley. Paul grew up in the West, moving between Montana and Utah with his family and learning to love the outdoors and all kinds of adventure. He was lucky enough to marry Jackie Severson on May 15, 1978, finding a partnership that would bring him happiness and comfort for the rest of his life. Paul stood by Jackie through a difficult battle with cancer and the painful loss of her mother, and Jackie stood by Paul both when he campaigned for workers’ rights as a union representative for the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, and in his later days, as disease began to take its toll on him. They were a happy, loving couple, and an inspiration to their three sons.

Paul loved to share his passions with others. His siblings remember him as an avid and talented golfer. His sons fondly remember frequently accompanying him, from a very young age, when he went camping, fishing, and hunting. His sons looked up to him as a man capable of anything at all, from completely rebuilding a 1963 Buick Riviera, which he lovingly called “Christine”, to causing endless peals of laughter by replacing the voices of the characters in their childhood storybooks with voices taken from Sesame Street. He also made sure that his family knew their classic rock—he was famous for quizzing his family on the bands of the British Invasion and the great guitarists of the sixties and seventies at every family gathering. When his family needed help with anything at all, he dropped everything and made them a priority, no matter what it required. His children hope to live up to this example.

Paul’s sudden loss has left a large hole in the lives of many, and is particularly felt by his wife, Jackie; his sons, Daniel, Sean, and Patrick; his daughters-in-law, Lisa, Amanda, and Karen; his grandchildren, Lars, Maud, Raylan, and Iggy; his siblings, Doug, Jim, William, Russell, and Mary; and his nieces and nephews, Michael, Laura, James, and Kelley.

Paul’s memorial service will be held 11 a.m. on January 13, preceded by a viewing at 10 a.m., at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, in Salt Lake City, Utah. In lieu of flowers, Paul’s family asks that donations be made in his name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

For those who wish to view the video tribute please click here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=kMypV1EG5SqtdmYO&v=s-DnsGdwgfQ&feature=youtu.be

To watch the recording of the services please click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/qYQg6C3ela5VRePW8ozmAFgoGiQWNXXzTsO3n1Pb3uEukkqDXBtw4o7afj-v3AaD.quz1-DRLJ7rhr6uO?startTime=1705167729000