Paul Ross Gignac June 5, 1942 -September 24, 2018 Paul Ross Gignac, 76, died September 24, 2018, after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He never quit. He was born the first child to Vinny and Ann Gignac on June 5, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan, where he grew up with siblings Andrea (Paul called her “Princess”), Mike, and Joe Gignac of Detroit, Michigan.
Paul earned his Eagle Scout as a teenager and graduated from Denby High School in Detroit. Shortly thereafter he enlisted and was sworn in to the United States Air Force. Paul attended basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and was assigned to permanent duty at ENT Air Force Base (now Peterson Air Force Base) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he worked in crash rescue at Pete Field.
Paul loved swimming and was a lifeguard at the local pools. It was here in Colorado that he developed a love for hunting and the outdoors. While on active duty he attended Southern Colorado State College in Pueblo, Colorado, and met and married his first wife, Judy Gignac.
Following his honorable discharge as an Airman 1 st Class from the USAF and completing his bachelor’s degrees in Math and Physics from SCSC in 1969, Paul began duty within the Department of the Army’s Civil Service and soon acquired a position at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona as a computer software engineer at Greely Hall. In 1970, with wife, Judy, and their daughter Beth, they headed out west and claimed Sierra Vista as their permanent home.
Soon thereafter, in 1971, Christopher was born. Paul passionately believed in the United States of America, the freedoms and opportunity enjoyed here, and the Second Amendment rights afforded to all law-abiding citizens. He was a lifetime supporter of the NRA and enjoyed many aspects of the shooting sports.
He loved hunting and traveling and frequently combined these loves into one great experience: hunting deer in Mexico, birds in Canada, and his dream hunt, a safari in Africa. He was a staunch supporter of the GOP, a self-proclaimed Constitutionalist, and enjoyed keeping up with current events. Fox News played loud enough from his television that even his neighbors became conservatives.
Paul was an avid swimmer for most of his adult life. Many years passed where you would find him swimming a mile each day during his lunch hour at Barnes Field House on Ft. Huachuca.
Paul enjoyed reading novels, often times reading more than one in the same day. He would read his subscription periodicals from cover-to-cover: National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, and some magazine with mostly pictures (saying ‘I only like it for the articles’). Every weekend you could find Paul at the Sierra Vista Shooting Range (Trap Range) or the Double Adobe Campground and Shooting Sports (Sporting Clays & Trap Range) where he made many a lifelong friend.
It was at these local shooting ranges that Paul taught Beth and Chris his love of trapshooting which they will proudly continue participation and competition. A prouder father there wasn’t. Despite fighting an aggressive and deadly cancer and suffering the brutal effects of chemo, Paul went trapshooting twice a week, every week, up until just 3 weeks before his passing.
Paul possessed great empathy and a proclivity to protect others, always there to help a friend or a stranger. He will be greatly missed. Paul was preceded in death by his mother, Ann, and brother Joe.
Paul is survived by his father, Vinnie Gignac, his daughter Beth Hooper (Bill), son Christopher (Geri), and his siblings Andrea Gorski and Michael Gignac. Paul will also be fondly remembered by Lisa Sellars, four grandchildren, three great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and his best friend, Berta Sue, the rat terrier from Hell that refused to leave his side throughout his battle with cancer and has been Paul’s most loyal 4-legged companion for years. Paul will be interred to rest peacefully and for always at Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista, Arizona on Monday, October 1, , 2018.
Please meet at the cemetery administration office between 12:15 and 12:30 p.m. as we will move as a procession to the chapel for the service. Celebration of Paul’s life will follow. Please consider making a contribution to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org) or the Cochise Gun Club Trap (cochisegunclub.org) in Paul’s name.
Paul’s children were his pride and joy of life. The legacy of his spirit, passion for shooting sports, love of reading, and zest for life will live on through them.
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