Paul Ebert

Biography

Paul was born on June 26, 1951 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Richard and Geraldine Ebert. Paul’s life proved to be a turning point and an inspiration for change for his parents and many others. Dick and Gerry Ebert were later sealed to each other and their children, including Paul, in the Salt Lake Temple on June 9, 1965. That sealing was a large part the result of Paul’s softening their spirits and causing them to reexamine their lives and their priorities.
Within hours of his birth, he was diagnosed as having Down’s Syndrome. His parents embraced his handicaps and spent many years trying to better his life and the lot of others with a similar handicap. For many years they worked at both the state and national levels in advancing the cause for those with Down’s Syndrome. Additionally, they put on many parties at the Utah State Training School. They struggled with whether to keep Paul at home or to place him at the Training School. In the end, they determined that for Paul’s sake, he would be better associating with handicapped individuals so that we would be on a similar plane and not be a subject of ridicule. His siblings were brought up to accept and love him as an individual. They, with their spouses and children, became a part of Paul’s life. In Fact two of his nephews, Mark Douglas Ebert and Douglas Barney Clark, and two of his grandnephews Jackson Paul Riding, and John Douglas Ebert carry his name.
Paul was always noted for his patience and kindness and won friends with his roommates and the staff who attended him.
Paul transitioned from the Utah State Training School in American Fork to a group home in Salt Lake and eventually a group home in St. George, Utah, to where his parents had retired. Paul’s intellectual lever never exceeded that of an eighteen month old, yet his spirit exceeded everyone else’s. Paul loved to bowl, even participating in the Utah Special Olympics, talk on the telephone where he would always repeat the last word that was said to him, be a shepherd in the Christmas pageant and go to a restaurant, for a diet coke/root beer or for an ice cream.
Paul was an inspiration of gentleness, kindness and love to all who were privileged to know him.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, Jan 3, 2015, at 2:00 p.m., at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 295 North Main, Bountiful, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the services from 1:00-1:45 p.m. Interment at the St. George City Cemetery.

Funeral Service

Saturday January 3, 2015, 2:00 at Russon Brothers Bountiful Mortuary
Click for Map and Directions