Paul Espinoza

March 19, 1944 ~September 6, 2023

The Camper

Enthusiastic mountain and outdoorsman. Father, grandfather, brother, hunter, fisherman, and camper. Storyteller of the good old days and, overall, a loner.

My name is Paul Espinoza; the adjectives above best describe who I am. For the next few moments, I will share my life story. The ideal setting for this would be around a campfire, drinking beer, listening to country and Mexican music, laughing, and telling stories. I find such solitude as I look into the night sky, see the billion stars flying high, and think of how wonderful of a creation this world is.

I was born in Denver, CO, on March 19th, 1944. I was one of eight children born to Pedro Espinoza and Isabell Trujillo. Frank, Leroy, Dave, Alfred, Marcella, Tina, and Alice were my brothers and sisters. Being a part of a large family, we had our share of fun and heartaches, yet we can always count on love through it all.

I was a single father with two children: a son, Kelly, and a daughter, Kimberly.

I graduated from Manual High School in northeast Denver. Shortly after that, I was drafted into the Vietnam War. I retired from the army. And for a while, I worked for the Safeway supermarket. Then, I went to work for Rocky Flats, where I was a bomb maker.

Longing for my roots, I bought a piece of mountain property in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, where my mom was from. My son Kelly and I built a sleeping cabin to have somewhere to rest as we made the big house. We completed the build, and you would find us sitting on the deck or just out in the yard, sitting around the campfire, swapping stories.

In my late 20s and early 30s, I developed a passion for hunting, fishing, and camping. This brought great joy to me. I enjoyed it so much that I introduced it to my children. My son Kelly and I would go hunting, and Kelly Kimberly and I would go fishing and camping. When I wasn't outdoors or listening to music, I enjoyed those old television westerns.

Although I loved my son Kelly and daughter Kimberly, a unique radiance came upon me when my granddaughters Mariah and Samantha were born. The fun we had, the songs we sang, the stories I shared about my growing up and just watching their little Harts embrace and hang on every word, and how their smiles melted my heart was so rich.

This mime best shows who I am, not a complicated man. Just give me a campfire and some Mexican music, and I'm happy.

On September 6th, 2023, I was no longer camping, fishing, hunting, listening to music, or telling stories here on earth. Perhaps I'm up amongst the stars that lighten the night.

If you're reading this, rest assured that I lived a full life. Enjoyed myself tremendously, and now I bid you all farewell.