Paul Schrader

Paul Schrader, ASA, CCA, EA

Paul Schrader made every room seem lighter, brighter and the atmosphere a bit more humorous. Paul had great rapport with everyone from plumbers to CEOs. We will all miss his laugh, his playful (and sometimes wicked) wit and abundant kindness.

Paul was also an amazing actuary. He was acclaimed for his sound and visionary actuarial guidance and his ability to explain actuarial concepts in everyday language. His presentations were informative and entertaining; and that's saying something for an actuary. His ability to do figures in his head made him a legend at producing actuarial estimates at the drop of a hat.

Paul loved to travel and follow sports. He was never far from the sports apps on his phone. His favorite teams were the Broncos and the Nuggets. He played golf around the world; St. Andrews being one of his favorite experiences. His trips with wife Carolyn included numerous locations in Europe, Asia, and Africa. He particularly loved to visit ancient sites in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, and the Balkans.

To Paul's friends and business associates, he was one of the good guys, honest and with the best sense of humor in any crowd or meeting. To family, he will be remembered as the husband, father, and grandfather who was a good listener, generous and fun to be around.

Paul was born on January 3, 1942, in Houston, Texas to Ralph John and Frances (nee Hall) Schrader. He has an older sister, Marilyn, of Houston. Paul graduated from Milby High School in Houston in 1960 and received a full academic scholarship to the University of Texas. He graduated from Texas in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in actuarial science. In 1965, Paul joined A.S. Hansen Actuarial Consultants where he worked for 20+ years and rose to serve on the Board of Directors. In 1990, Paul joined Buck Consultants, another actuarial consulting firm, where he remained until retiring in 1996 to travel the world.

Paul married Donna Tiller in 1960. Paul and Donna were married 33 years and had three children, Stephen, Holly, and Joel. Sadly, Paul was predeceased by his lovely first wife, Donna, son Joel, daughter Holly and his parents Ralph John and Frances.

Through a close friend and fellow actuary, Gary Weston, Paul reconnected with former colleague, Carolyn Abelanet. They wed in 1995 on the hottest day of that Spring. Their marriage was one of travel, sharing delicious food and much laughter. Carolyn and Paul loved to find unusual locales. They took trips to North Korea, Antarctica, Cuba, and Myanmar (Burma), to name just a few of their adventures. Paul accompanied Carolyn on several of her Rotary trips to Zimbabwe and other countries in Africa. He would carry many small toys in his pockets while strolling through high density neighborhoods. He would hand out the toys to the children and demonstrate how to play. Soon he was walking and standing with a group of kids, laughing and playing with toys.

Along with scores of friends and colleagues, Paul is survived and missed by his wife Carolyn, his sister Marilyn, his son Steve, step-children Jean-Paul Abelanet (Kathy), Phil Abelanet, and Marie-Claire Abelanet (Ed Price), grandchildren Jackson, Tallulah, Josephine, Madison, Jake, Nicolas, Camille, Duncan, Clark, and great-granddaughter Annie, and his many nieces and nephews.

Friends, family, associates and colleagues are invited to a Celebration of Life on June 8 at 10 am at the West Terrace of the Denver Botanical Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Food Bank of the Rockies,  foodbankrockies.org  /

" A Life Well Lived "