Stinson, Sr., Paul T

Obituary

Paul T. Stinson, written by the family

Paul was born in November, 1911 in Shelby County, Alabama, on the family farm located between Columbiana and Wilsonville. He was the oldest of three children who survived childhood. When he was about a year old, he fell into a trash fire and was severely burned. Several doctors came to examine him, and most felt there was nothing they could do but make him comfortable until the end. However, one doctor proved more persistent, making frequent house visits to treat Paul over the next year. As a results of this doctor’s diligence, Paul made a remarkable recovery.

He grew up working on the farm, then, as a teenager, worked to build his father’s petroleum distribution business, driving trucks to deliver gasoline and oil products throughout the area. Later, he drove for Gulf Oil Company with their interstate transport service and was working in Tuscumbia, Alabama when a good friend introduced him to Lola Rutland, who he began dating, later to marry in 1943. Paul joined Southeastern Greyhound Lines in Birmingham as a bus driver, then moved to Nashville when drivers in Birmingham were being laid off. He worked with Greyhound for over 18 years.

In 1955, a routine company physical detected a heart problem that required him to retire early. Paul’s father offered Paul and Lola an opportunity to move their family back to Alabama to live on his land. Valuing their independence and the life they had built in Nashville, they opted to stay in Nashville. Paul and Lola switched roles, with Lola going back to work full time, and Paul assuming responsibility for the home. He learned to cook from his mother, an excellent country cook, and he took over housekeeping. He always had a good supper on the table at the end of the day. He went to his children’s school events, took them camping, and maintained the home. Although this was not the life he would have chosen, he did it well, and it was a blessing to his three children. He also made frequent trips to Alabama to care for his parents until their passing in the 1970’s.

In 1960, about the time Paul and Lola joined Otter Creek, an old store across from the church on Granny White Pike suffered a fire. The owner had a fire sale, and Paul bought his first antique clock. The paint on the wooden case had blistered, but Paul discovered that the cherry wood underneath the paint was undamaged. Perhaps he had an eye for such possibilities, having once been considered irreparably damaged himself. Paul stripped the paint and refinished the case, then cleaned the metal clock works and restored it to working order. Over time, his hobby led to his house being filled with many beautiful restored antique clocks. He also liked nothing better to find an old piece of furniture that was missing parts or covered with paint. He lovingly rehabilitated countless pieces of furniture, many of which are in the homes of his children and friends to this day.

Paul loved his family and kept in touch with friends, including many fellow Greyhound drivers. He remembered his own adjustment to retirement, and as his friends took that step, he would call them a month or so later and suggest a drive down the road to visit the operators of their old bus stops, or other drivers who had already retired. He also got several of them interested in hobbies. At Paul’s funeral, several former drivers talked to the family and expressed their gratitude for his help with their transition. He passed away in 1988, when he and Lola had been married for 45 years.

He is remembered as a quiet, gentle man, courteous and respectful, who loved his family deeply. He made friends easily and never forgot them. And we cannot forget him.

Written by the Family

Paul was a member of the local chapter of the National Association of Watch and Clock collectors, Inc. (NAWCC). He was a self-taught repairer of antique clocks.