RRAD bids farewell to a great leader

By U.S. ArmyFebruary 10, 2010

Paul Addington
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The Red River Army Depot family is missing a vital link. J. Paul Addington, Deputy Commander, died December 29, 2009, while visiting his family on Guam.

Paul and his wife Donna were visiting their daughter Emily, son Matt and daughter-in-law Heather for the Christmas holidays. Most importantly, they were celebrating the birth of their first grandchild, Abigail. The family enjoyed many blessings during the visit before Paul suddenly took ill.

"Paul was a great leader because he was calm, fair, compassionate and possessed the discernment to cut through emotion to make sound decisions. He cared deeply about the depot and the people who work here, and people responded to his leadership. I will sorely miss his sage advice, sense of humor and friendship. Paul made RRAD, this community and the Army a better place to work, and he set the example for how to live life," said Red River Army Depot Commander, Col. Daniel Mitchell.

He entered the U.S. Air Force in June 1972 where he served four years as a radar operator and technician at various sites across the U.S. and Guam.

Paul was a University of Texas graduate, having earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architectural Engineering and was registered as a Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.

After graduation, he began his civil service career at Red River Army Depot. He served as both a Structural and Mechanical Engineer in several organizations, as well as Chief of the Facility Engineering Activity in Supply's MCA project office, Acting Chief of Engineering Division, Acting Director of Public Works and later Director.

During Operation Desert Storm Paul deployed to Dammam, Saudi Arabia as Chief of the Engineering Plans and Services Branch at the U.S. Army Support Group (Provisional).

In October 2005 Paul began an assignment as Chief of Staff for Red River Army Depot and in August 2007 was appointed as Deputy to the Commander.

During his exceptional career as an Army civilian, Paul was awarded numerous honors and prestigious awards for his never tiring dedication. On many occasions he participated in challenging and innovative programs and courses of study that ultimately benefited Red River Army Depot in moving forward.

He enjoyed many passions. Of course his faithful membership and service to New Boston Baptist Church and his family took the prime spot in his life. He served on numerous boards and committees throughout the community. He enjoyed building and flying airplanes and was a licensed private pilot. His cattle provided relaxation and pleasure on his New Boston ranch.

"I remember Paul's sense of humor, even when dealing with serious situations we could always find something to laugh about. He was a person that put people at ease and was always approachable. That same trait coupled with his common sense was one of the reasons you wanted him on your team. You knew he would always represent you well, whether it was DPW, RRAD or the whole complex," said Mark Crawford, acting director of Public Works.