Shoun, Paul
Paul William Shoun, 75, passed away on November 16, 2017. Paul was a devoted Lipscomb University baseball, basketball and volleyball fan since his graduation in 1964. He worked as a computer programmer at Genesco for almost his entire career. Paul was a generous member of Otter Creek Church of Christ, and for sixteen years he portrayed Santa Claus throughout Nashville. Paul is survived by Janet, his wife of fifty-one years, two children and two grandchildren. Visitation will be held beginning at 11:30 a.m. followed by services at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 20, at Otter Creek Church of Christ.
Program
Inside cover: We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:8 NIV
Special thanks: The Shoun family would like to thank everyone who helped transport Paul to dialysis, who encouraged him during his illness and who provided food and support after his passing. We are so blessed to be a part of the special slice of God’s Kingdom that is Otter Creek Church of Christ.
In Tribute: If you wish to honor Paul Shoun, the family suggests making a donation to the Paul Shoun Spiritual Growth Athletic Scholarship at Lipscomb University. The intended purpose of this scholarship is to enhance the university’s ability to use its athletics program to positively impact the spiritual lives of young people. The recipient should not necessarily be the most accomplished student or the best athlete, but instead be the student athlete who will most benefit from the structure and guidance of a faith-based athletics program at a Christian university. The hope for this scholarship is that the recipients will grow even more in their faith than in their intellectual and athletic prowess.
Order of Service Welcome—Lee Camp “In Christ Alone”—Andrew Leeper, Praise Leader
Reflection: Paul, the Lipscomb Sports Fan Brandon Rosenthal, Lipscomb University Volleyball Coach Scripture Reading: A medley of verses on love--Linda Shoun, Paul’s sister
Reflection: Paul, the Father--Janel Smith, Paul’s daughter
“A Beautiful Life”—Andrew Leeper Reflection: Paul, Santa Claus--Jake Shoun, Paul’s son Reflection: Paul, the Husband--Pat Ward, family friend reads a reflection by Janet Shoun, Paul’s wife Scripture Reading: verses about Barnabas--Ralph Wilson, friend, shares about Paul’s favorite Bible character
“Never Grow Old”--Performed by Sharon Rogers, Paul’s niece
Closing and Prayer—Lee Camp “This Is How We Overcome”—Andrew Leeper
Pallbearers: Bob Brannon, Winston Biggs, Matt Hearn, Andy Shoun, John Shoun, Hobson Shoun
Reflection: Paul the Father, by Janel Shoun-Smith: “In the Truck”
A story I wrote during my senior year of college
A teacher told me once that the average family talks to one another about two hours a week. I was shocked. What did they do all day? The only thing our family did was talk. We all talked at the dinner table, at basketball games, on vacation. I can’t imagine living in a family where I hardly spoke to my parents.
My father and I always had our best conversations when we were in his old beat-up truck. My father always had an old beat-up, red truck. When one truck finally fell apart, he would head out to the used car lot to get another beat-up, old truck. When I was in elementary school, it was a red Datsun. Dad would take me and two neighbor girls, all in the cab of that truck, to school every morning. (Those girls were Laura Camp and her sister Lisa.) I would squeeze close to him on the tattered seat to give them more room.
We did the neatest things in the truck. We would often sing songs or church songs. Our favorite was the church hymn, “Each Day I’ll Do” because it has a great echo part. My screechy voice would echo his deep base. “Each day I’ll do, a golden deed.” We also enjoyed singing the “Mahna Mahna” song from Sesame Street. You know, the one with the red monster that goes wild a crazy with the “Mahna Mahnas” until the conservative blue monster gives him a stern look. My dad was always the crazy red monster and I was the stern blue monster.
As I grew older, our conversations took a serious turn. As I worked to understand my spirituality, my father would instruct me in the ways of unconditional love. A large majority of my Biblical knowledge and spiritual ideas grew out of the cab of that old beat-up truck.
Dad’s tuck was a place I could say things or do things that I couldn’t do anywhere else. It was a safe haven where I could be as silly as I wanted to. Like the time I decide to give my puppets a ride in the truck. While in high school, I was required to write and put on a puppet show. I made sock puppets for my show, and one day when home from college I rediscovered them. During that weekend, my father and I went driving around. I took the puppet with me, hunkered down in the seat and stuck the puppet out the window to enjoy the breeze while my father described the other drivers’ reaction to my antics. I think this story shows how much, even in my college years, I credited my creativity, my personality and my Christianity to my father.
I’m not sure I can describe how close we were. As an adult, sometimes I felt that perhaps that bond had softened a little because I was grown up I had my own life. And then beginning on October 7 we brought him home from rehab, and I discovered that bond was still as strong as ever. When I wrapped my arms around him to pick him up from a chair, I would step back and he would give me this huge grin that said, “You did it!” At one point when we both stumbled to the living room floor, he was the one holding my hand saying, “It’s OK, honey. Don’t be upset.” And after we talked about entering hospice care, in his bed that night, my Dad grasped my hand in his, looked up at me with a huge smile and said, “You’ve been so special.” That was the kind of father my daddy was.
Reflection: Paul, Santa Claus--Jake Shoun – words about my dad (interspersed with slides)
Becoming a father and watching my girls grow up, I became more and more appreciative of the sacrifices my father made for me when I was young, especially in the area of sports. But I am most proud of my father for what he became after I was out of the house--Santa Claus
Dad loved to tell stories. Being Santa was perfect for that. He would tell stories about his elves and his reindeer. He knew all their names. He could recite “The Night before Christmas” as if he had written it himself. His phone at home plays jingle bells when someone calls.
He found a way to help families enjoy being around each other. He was able to show an unconditional love to all the world.
One family has had him come to their house sixteen years in a row.
One special little girl named Kendell came to be with Santa for eight years straight.
Their friendship even made it into the local papers. Dad would walk around the mall holding her hand during his breaks.
Dad was able to meet many interesting people while wearing his Santa hat: university presidents, influential businessmen, and even the Titan cheerleaders.
He got the be the main event in several city parades.
He had the pleasure of working with at least five different local professional photographers. One of the photographers took pictures of dad with the intent to sell them to others. This allowed my father to become and international superstar. I know of his photo being on at least three different billboards around the nation through the years.
A few years ago, he was asked to perform for a music video .In fact, if you take out your phone right now and search on Google for “images Santa Shushing,” you will get a picture of my father that looks something like this.
But it is a phone app that gives him his international superstar status. When children all over the world download the “Santa calls you” app, they get to see my father’s picture when Santa calls them back.
It always seems to me that his blues eye shine brighter when he has on his Santa suit.
But my favorite picture of my father is this one (slide) because it lets me know that after all his hard work he gets to be home with his heavenly father resting.
So in conclusion, I pray that my hair turns white soon and my beard grows faster so that I can keep the family tradition going strong for another generation. And if anyone ever ask you if Santa Claus is real you say yes and his name was Paul Shoun.
Reflection: Paul, the Husband with Pat Ward, family friend, reading a reflection by Janet Shoun, Paul’s wife
Paul was a wonderful husband.
He had a gift for meeting the needs of others, and he certainly took care of me throughout our marriage. Wherever we went together, he drove, and we both loved passing the nearby creek and its flock of ducks by the bridge. He provided our family a good home. He provided our children a good education. He attended to our every need, no matter how much he had to sacrifice to make it happen.
He was an active, wise father right up until the end, providing his children advice, encouragement, and praise even in his last days. He was the one reminding Jake and Janel to pay the credit card bill by November 7 and helping Jake to pick out a new truck this past month. Whatever his children needed, he was there to provide, every day.
And, of course, as many of you know, he was there behind the scenes to meet the needs of many of you as well. Never wanting the credit, he gave generously to many causes. He was involved in ministries like Meals on Wheels and a prison ministry as our children grew up, and he reached out personally to so many of you in your time of need.
Going through our long life together, Paul met my needs so many times in our marriage. Then we came to a time where we helped each other as we grew older. Then in this past year, his whole family was able to turn around and meet his needs. Likewise, many of you all were there to meet his needs as well. I would like to say thank you to each and every one of you who helped transport Paul to dialysis, and to those who cared for Paul at our house, allowing him to remain at home in his last days.
It was a hard-fought battle as he struggled through his illness. At the end, when he would get restless and need to move in the middle of the night because of the pain, he would sit on the side of the bed because he couldn’t get up and walk, and I would sit beside him, and we leaned on each other, as he laid his head on my shoulder.
And the next day, he was gone. Goodbye, Dad. Goodbye, Paul. Goodbye, Santa. I love you. The pain is over.
Additional comments from Janet given several weeks later
Some of the works of Paul Shoun. 1. Children’s ministry puppet and actor at a Christmas program, playing the inn keeper, for which he wrote the part. 2. At Wayne Reed Childcare Center, he played a farmer showing children how to plant seeds. He also read stories as Old McDonald. 3. He was a bus driver for Room in the Inn. 4. He delivered Meals on Wheels. 5. He was a supporter of the Living Water Project. 6. He supported foreign missions and local missions, such as AGAPE, the Wayne Reed Center, and the consignment sale as a volunteer. 7. He was a Sunday school teacher. 8. He was a member of the Franklin Devotional Group (Darrell Waltrip) 9. He was Santa at Otter Creek and many other places. 10. He was the driver for the Acklen Avenue bus ministry for children.
Two stories that show where Paul’s heart was.
Once when Paul was at the Lipscomb basketball game, Catherine Sabal’s wallet was stolen. She had come from Belize to attend Lipscomb after meeting Otter Creek Christians who went on a mission trip to Belize, inspired by Carolyn Maddox, to work with Steve and Magda Sherman. Paul replaced all the money that was stolen. Catherine was so grateful that she could not thank him enough, even years later.
On another occasion as the family was returning from Knoxville, they stopped at a rest stop. A man came up and said he needed some money for his family. Paul gave him some. I asked him later why he had done that. He said that if it was a scam, it was between the man and God. “I am willing to take that chance that he really did need the money.”
Comments by Sandra Collins… As speakers said during Paul’s service, he was a Barnabas—a deeply spiritual man
who worked behind the scene doing service to others and encouraging them.
The soccer coach at Lipscomb U said Paul was more than just a man who liked all Lipscomb sports. Paul met him when he arrived at his new job and visited him in his office regularly until he died. The coach’s children grew up with Paul Shoun knowing their names and talking with them during games and office visits.
He was also the warmest and friendliest of all the Santas portrayed in the stock pictures of Santa—the one we all imagine every Christmas, the one with the truly kind face and engaging smile.
Another image of him was painted by a local artist and used on the program cover. The artist saw in Paul the Good Shepherd with a lamb. Here again we see the kind, gentle face of a shepherd who lovingly cares for his lamb. The painting beautifully depicts not only a biblical shepherd or the Good Shepherd but also the real Paul Shoun.