10/20/1938 – 1/1/2025
Baldwin City
Funeral Services for James Darrel Pauli will be 1 pm, Saturday, January 11, 2025, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Stull Cemetery.
James Darrel Pauli (Jim), age 86, of Baldwin City, KS, passed away on January 1st, 2025, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, KS with family near his side.
Jim (or Jimmy growing up) was born on October 20,1938 in Kirk, CO to Clarence and Rosetta Pauli. He was their only child. He was blessed with many aunts, uncles and cousins that he maintained close ties with throughout his life. From his early days onward, he was known for his spontaneity and free spirit attitude towards life. Between farm work, friends and his hobbies, he was constantly active and made sure to give everyone a hard time.
On November 23, 1957, he married Karen Deinert of Yuma, CO. Their first adventure was running a hamburger joint for a short period of time and then took off for Gillette, WY with their 8’ x 32’ house-in-tow to work for a seismograph company. Next stop was Kirk, CO where they took residence and started managing his family’s farm alongside his parents. In 1967 they moved to Goodland, KS and began his truck driving journey. They raised three children, Marcy, Diane and Jeff. He was supportive of the local church and Christan School they attended. He was a hard worker and when it came to family outings, he was just as active. The family spent a lot of time at the lake fishing and skiing alongside other outdoor activities. There was never a dull moment when he was around. It was not uncommon to load up in the car and take an all-day adventure to go eat somewhere, just for the fun of it.
Jim and Karen, now empty nesters, moved to Stull, KS in the summer of 1986. While in Stull he continued trucking until his retirement in 2016 at the age of 80. In early 2023, he moved to Baldwin City, KS where he enjoyed being closer to family, with his great grandkids bringing him much joy.
He loved to fish and work on hotrods. Growing up on a farm he picked up the skills to fix and operate anything mechanical. He enjoyed having his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren around him, it didn’t matter if it was going fishing or working, he enjoyed the company. Whenever a trip to town was needed to get something for a project, he would consistently take a detour for dessert before heading back home. One of his great qualities was his willingness to help people in need. He was incredibly generous with what he had, and truly would, “give you the shirt off his back.” He never met a stranger and could quickly make friends with just about anyone.
Preceding him in death was his wife of 66 years, Karen Pauli, Jim’s parents, Clarence and Rosetta, and sister-in-law, Cheryl Deinert.
He is survived by his daughter, Marcy (Gary) Rust of Topeka, KS and grandchildren/great grandchildren: Landon (Paula) Rust, Parker and Landon of Montgomery, AL; Grant (Linnzi) Rust of Charlotte, NC; Graydon Rust of Birmingham, AL and Sydney (Troy) Weakland, Josie and Atreus of Topeka, KS.
Daughter, Diane (Randy) Haeffner of Baldwin City, KS grandchildren/great grandchildren: Matt (Chelsey) Haeffner, Audrianne, Ashton, Haven, and Henley of Houston, TX; Zach (Kelli) Haeffner, Harrison, Hadley and Hunter of Baldwin City, KS; Josh Haeffner, Dax, Ryker and Jase of Houston, TX; Lesley (Jake) Nellor, Lauren of Baldwin City, KS.
Son, Jeff (Liana) Pauli of Derby, KS and grandchildren/great grandchildren: Leah (Kody) Barger, Raegan of Warrensburg, MO; Luke (Grace) Pauli, Lucy and Rose of Olathe, KS.
Sister-in-law, Judeen (Bob) Berry of Castle Rock, CO and brother-in-law, Dale Deinert of Yuma, CO. Nieces and nephews.
To leave a message for Jim’s family, please visit www.Rumsey-Yost.com.
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