Don Paulsell

Profile Updated: August 28, 2018
Residing In: Chelsea, MI USA
Occupation: Retired & Grandpa
Spouse/Partner: Patricia Ryan Paulsell, Retired Professor of German at MSU
Children: Karen Leigh Dec - August 4, 1971 married to Jeffrey Robert Dec on January 8, 2005.
Military Service: U S Army - Picatinny Arsenal 1967-69  
Homepage: Just Facebook (cdonpaul@aol.com)
Grandchildren and great grandchildren and date of birth:

Grandson Ryan Jeffrey Dec born on August 30, 2009.

Comments:

After graduating U of Illinois in 1966 with an BSME, I started my career at Caterpillar, but a year later, I started my Federal Service in Uncle Sam's Army. I was fortunate to spend two years at Picatinny Arsenal in Dover NJ working as a QC engineer. U of M was my choice in 1969 to spend the GI bill to earn an MSME. I attended the very first Earth Day at Hill Auditorium and heard Ralph Nader give the keynote address. A course in Air Pollution Chemistry peaked my interest in the subject.

One of my roommates was a PHS employee and told me they needed technicians to test cars at the Willow Run HEW lab during the summer of 1970. Pat was very happy when I got an offer and didn't go back to Peoria to CAT. EPA was created on 12/2/1970 and we moved to the new lab in Ann Arbor, MI in 1971-72. I have enjoyed a very rewarding and interesting career in automotive emissions and energy testing. So many changes in 40 years!

School Story:

My grandson Ryan is going into second grade next fall and he is such a "little me", i.e. seems to have to go to the principal's office frequently. I went to Dodds Grade School and then was the first and last 8th grade class at Blackhawk, graduating June 3, 1957.. The next year we went to Jr. High at Lawrence, then to SHS. But at Dodds, I recall getting a swat with a Bolo Paddle from principal Newton Elliott for pulling some girl's pigtails in second grade class. She screamed and that was that! Ryan just gets a nice conversation these days on making good choices.

Don's Latest Interactions

Hide Comments
Don Paulsell posted a message.
Mar
06
Mar 06, 2024 at 1:58 PM

HBD (a day late, again) JJ!
I hope you had a nice celebration of your anniversary of joining the Octo Club.
Mine has been fun and went by so fast. Ken is 87 and Kay is 82 and we are all doing well. Our grandmother lived to 97 so we hope we have her genes! Best wishes to you and family for another fun trip around the sun!

Don Paulsell added a comment on his Profile.
Mar 06, 2024 at 1:50 PM
Don Paulsell posted a message. New comment added.
Jan
26
Jan 26, 2024 at 10:50 AM

Posted on: Jan 25, 2024 at 12:58 PM

HBD Gay,
Hope 2024 is treating you well. As I said a year ago, you share that birthday with my buddy John Albers, but you are a year older. I had a nice phone call with him yesterday. 2024 has been a bummer so far with so many of our classmates passing on. I am doing well (new lens in my right eye makes things much clearer!) My brother Ken is 87 and just had a small hole in his heart repaired via an artery, and went home the next day! Amazing technology! Kay is still in FL, but came for a visit to MI in October. I am staying busy and Pat and I are trying to downsize and get rid of things we don't need. Hope your birthday was fun and we will stay in touch.

Don Paulsell posted a message.
Sep
20
Sep 20, 2023 at 11:10 PM

Hi Bonnie,
Welcome to the Octo Club! I joined on Earth Day (4/22) and so far so good. I have been retired for 14 years and still try to get lots done every day. I hope you are retired by now too, although a good nurse is very valuable these days. Stay well and active. Best wishes and I hope your day was special.

Don Paulsell has a birthday today.
Apr
22
Apr 22, 2023 at 4:33 AM
Don Paulsell posted a message. New comment added.
Feb 28, 2023 at 1:03 PM

Posted on: Jan 22, 2023 at 3:43 PM

Hi Gay,
Just wishing you a welcome to the Land of Octogenarians! I will be joining this club on Earth Day this year! Hope you will have a wonderful day full of friends and fun. Be well and happy.

Don Paulsell added a comment on his Profile.
Oct 23, 2022 at 8:14 PM
Don Paulsell added a comment on his Profile.
Sep 17, 2022 at 11:36 AM
Don Paulsell has a birthday today.
Apr 22, 2022 at 4:33 AM
Don Paulsell posted a message.
Jan 23, 2022 at 3:04 PM

Hi Gay, Hope you are doing great and enjoying a wonderful special day. You share this birthday with my good HS buddy - John Albers, except he was born in 1944. Pat and I are staying safe and keeping warm (21 F today in Chelsea, MI) The snowblower awaits my attention to remove the 2" we got last night - very dry and fluffy, so no big deal. I attached a picture of my daughter's family and my sister Kay who visited us last July. She and my brother Ken are doing well - no COVID in our family and we are well protected. Hope you have a great day and best wishes for many more trips around the sun!

Don Paulsell posted a message. New comment added.
Dec 15, 2022 at 1:38 PM

Posted on: Dec 22, 2021 at 10:27 AM

HBD Mark! I hope you are retired by now and enjoying the life of leisure. Things are fine here in Chelsea, MI, but not much snow yet for Christmas. I have been retired from EPA in Ann Arbor for 11 years but still don't find enough time in the days to get everything done. I either have too much to do or just doing things too slowly. Be well and stay safe in this crazy world.

Don Paulsell posted a message. New comment added.
Sep 17, 2021 at 5:03 PM

Posted on: Sep 17, 2021 at 11:03 AM

HBD Shirley
Hope all is well with you and the family and you will have a great day being treated like a respected senior citizen. We are doing well and after my grandson turned 12 on 8/30 and got his vax on 8/31, we are all now done. Just ready for a booster. It will be interesting to see the stats after all these packed football stadiums. My big project this year was getting a solar array installed on the south facing roof of our barn. This technology has come a long way in the past 10 years and this should eliminate our electric bill. And the 25 year warranty has an ROI of 8.5% which is better than the bank gives in interest! So be weil, keep safe and have a happy day and another terrific trip around the sun!

Don Paulsell has a birthday today.
Apr 22, 2021 at 4:33 AM
Don Paulsell posted a message. New comment added.
Mar 09, 2021 at 2:24 PM

Posted on: Mar 07, 2021 at 4:51 PM

Hi Patsy,
Sorry I am a day late in sending you best wishes for a nice day, good health and hopefully a COIVD vaccine. Pat and I got our first last Tuesday and it seems things are starting to roll now. I have been cleaning out old stuff and came across my 6th or 7th grade spelling book from Dodds. Pretty funny - where it says VOTE FOR nnnn and I added DON'T VOTE FOR IKE! My mom was part of the A. Stevenson campaign in 1952, so that was my first experience with politics, even though later I spelled it potitics! I thought it was funny to recall that Sally Jenkins was my heartthrob (at least in my mind), where on the back cover it says D.P. + S.J. She is now one of my security question answers to "What was the name of your first girlfriend?" We did have some good parties in the Jenkins' basement on Saturday nights! Hope you had a wonderful birthday and best wishes for many more. My sibs, Kay and Ken are both doing great. Send me an email sometime.

Don Paulsell posted a message.
Mar 06, 2021 at 10:42 PM

HBD JAJF - my super cute Lowell Avenue neighbor!
Sorry I am a day late in sending you best wishes for a nice day, good health and some COIVD vaccines. Pat and I got our first last Tuesday and it seems things are starting to roll now. I have been cleaning out old stuff and came across my 6th or 7th grade spelling book from Dodds. Pretty funny - where it says VOTE FOR nnnn and I added DON'T VOTE FOR IKE! My mom was part of the A. Stevenson campaign in 1952, so that was my first experience with politics, even though later I spelled it potitics! You can send this to Sally, as proof she was my first girlfriend (at least in my mind), where on the back cover it says D.P. + S. J. She is now one of my security question answers to "What was the name of your first girlfriend?" We did have some good parties in your basement on Saturday nights! Hope you had a wonderful birthday and best wishes for many more. My sibs, Kay and Ken are both doing great. Send me an email sometime.

Don Paulsell posted a message. New comment added.
Jan 24, 2021 at 9:55 AM

Posted on: Jan 23, 2021 at 3:19 PM

Hi Gay,
Just sending best wishes for a Happy B-day! Hope you are doing well and surviving the limitations of COVID restrictions. We in Michigan are doing very well and looking forward to getting the vaccine. We had a nice Christmas with our daughter's family who live 15 minutes away and all work/school from home. So our bubble is good!
Kay and my brother Ken are are well and we stay in touch. Our only contact with Springfield is thru SHS and our financial advisor at Stifel. That was the group my mom used and it has been good. I just got an email from Terry Johnson, who still lives in Montana. Sadly my buddy, Jim Keith, is now living in an assisted living facility in Richmond VA due to his dimentia. We stay in touch with his wife in FL and always enjoyed getting together with them when they came up to Michigan. Attached is a picture from our Christmas day. Would love to her from you - cdonpaul@aol.com Don
Stay safe!

Don Paulsell posted a message.
Sep 14, 2020 at 10:50 AM

Hi Monica - Best Wishes for a wonderful day. Hope you are well and enjoying a nice retirement. My wife, Pat, taught German at Michigan State University for 35 years until 2013. We still have 50+ year friends in Deutchland that we enjoy staying in touch with frequently. I stay very busy with many projects and have enjoyed visits with Jim and Sue Keith each summer when they come to Michigan. My brother lives near Chadds Ford and we enjoy PA often. Our daughter and 11 year old grandson live 15 miles away in Dexter, MI so life is good. Just miss being able to travel under the COVID restrictions. Have fun on your HBD! Extra cake for the birthday girl!

Don Paulsell has a birthday today.
Apr 22, 2020 at 4:34 AM
Don Paulsell added a comment on his Profile.
Mar 05, 2020 at 9:54 AM
Don Paulsell posted a message.
Oct 23, 2019 at 1:14 PM

Hi Tom, Happy BDay and best wishes for many good ones ahead!
Hope you are having an excellent day. I have enjoyed the website. Thanks so much for all you do. Had fun getting together with Jim & Sue Keith this summer after our BIG (Ken, Kay, +35 more) family reunion. Pat and I also had dinner with Pat (McDaniels) and Bill Gillula in Glen Arbor, MI this month. Stay well and active!

Hide Comments
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:52 AM
After 40 years at EPA in Ann Arbor, I FINALLY retired! My 14 month grandson is just way more fun than work! He is so curious and I love exploring things with him. I am known for the saying " A difference is only a difference if it makes a difference", and we did make a difference. So many changes in 40 years!
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:52 AM
Don Paulsell and 13 month grandson, Ryan Dec visit the AA model railroad club display at the Dexter, MI depot. The old depot was built by the Michigan Central RR in 1886. Passenger service ended in 1956.
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:52 AM
Cast of 38. We taught the kids to sing 3 part harmony! They were excellent.
Posted: Dec 17, 2013 at 12:52 AM
I don't think the pink wig and glasses fooled anyone! The dance was a real aerobic workout! We had a super demanding choreographer, but she was so proud of us!
The guy in black is Potiphar.