Paul Frederick Braun, 64, of Greenville Fl., died of a heart attack on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Born in Fort Wayne, In. to William Henry and Caroline Teresa Braun, Braun grew up in Lafayette, In. with his two brothers.
Paul is survived by his wife, Kathy Braun of 43 years; his two sons Greg (Erin) Braun and Paul (Staci) Long; his daughter, Kristen (Christopher) Woods; grandchildren Riley, Sadie, Grace, Henry and Greta; as well as by his two brothers, Mark and Richard.
From a very early age Paul had an adventurous spirit and having built a raft for himself, he floated down the Ohio River with only his dog, Bristol, during a break from studying at Indiana University, where he later graduated with a degree in English in 1974.
After graduation, he and his wife, Kathy, moved to Dunedin, Fl., where he owned a yacht brokerage business and held office as a City Commissioner and later the Vice Mayor of Dunedin. During this time, Paul also held a Masters Captains License for 25 years and loved the sea so much that he regularly swam marathons; completing both the Boston Light House Swim and the race around Key West as well as racing sailboats to Key West, Bermuda, Cozemel and Isla Mujeres in the Regata del Sol al Sol.
Always a seeker of knowledge, Paul held three Masters Degrees in Business, English and Journalism and devoted 10 years of his life to researching the life of Jose Marty, the Cuban Revolutionist, He was in the process of completing a doctorate in the History of Journalism at the University of Florida. He utilized this knowledge by speaking at conferences around the world including Australia, Greece, Las Vegas, New York and St. Augustine.
After leaving Dunedin, Paul spent time living on a farm in Madison County raising cattle and taking care of his dogs. His kindness extended to every stray dog that ever crossed his property and he was a supporter of Suwannee Valley Humane Society. He was a dreamer and always had big ideas, held an even bigger heart and his family will dearly miss him.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28 at St Mary's Episcopal Church, 140 NE Horry Avenue in Madison followed directly by a wake at Camp Cherry Lake. As an expression of sympathy the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Suwannee Valley Humane Society.