March 6, 1957 ~ May 22, 2026
With his family by his side, Paul Ivan Tucker passed away unexpectedly on May 22, 2026, at Community Hospital in Grand Junction from a brief and sudden illness. He was 69.
Paul was born on March 6, 1957, at Pioneers Hospital in Meeker, Colorado, to Vern and Beth (Foster) Tucker. His father’s livelihood was road construction, and Paul joined his family on the road as they moved from one job to another across the Western Slope, Utah and Kansas. The family eventually returned to Meeker in 1968. He graduated from Meeker High School in 1975. At that time, he was already employed at Watt’s Ranch Market. In time, Paul branched out working for CCR Colorado Well, drilling oil, gas and water wells in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, beginning in the worm’s corner graduating to derrick hand then advancing to driller. When the oil field went through a bust cycle around ’83, he hired on first to Mayflower Moving in Grand Junction and then ended up working for Mesa Moving and Storage which was affiliated with United Van Lines (UVL). In his years with UVL, he owned his own truck, driving coast to coast hauling first household goods and then commercial shipments in all lower 48 states as well as Quebec and Ontario in Canada. His advice to any rookie looking to break into the trucking industry, “You can go downhill too slow as many times as you want. You only get to go downhill too fast once.” Paul eventually tired of his adventures on the road and spending too much time away from home. He returned home to Grand Junction to work in the shop for UVL. He had trained during the off seasons with a mechanic and so went to work servicing diesel engines. He did that until 2023. And finally, before retiring, he was a data processor for Elam Construction.
There was something extraordinary about Paul. When he was only three, his mother discovered Paul had taken the clock/radio apart. With the parts of the radio scattered across the floor, his mother told him he better have it put back together before his father got home. And so, he did. He was the first of his family to buy a home computer and from the very first day that he brought the computer home, he could communicate with it. Coding. It’s called coding and Paul could do it without any schooling. Paul was all about technology and always had whatever the latest in tech had to offer. In his retirement, he bought a 3D printer and enjoyed what he could make with it. He loved taking his drone out with his brother, Keith. They flew their drones in many places outside of Grand Junction including Rabbit Valley and up on Grand Mesa. And you can’t talk about Paul’s life without mentioning that while Meeker kids growing up were out riding their bikes, Paul was out riding his unicycle. Not long before his unexpected passing, he told his family he was certain he could still ride a unicycle. No problem.
Paul is predeceased by his parents and two brothers, Norman Tucker and Gary Tucker. He is survived by his sister, Verleen Tucker of Steamboat Springs and his brother, Keith Tucker of Grand Junction. He is also survived by his two nephews, Roy Ivan (Christine) Brumback of Longmont, Colorado and James Neil (Jennifer) Brumback of Firestone, Colorado, his grandnephew, Dylan Brumback and his grandnieces, Makenna, Skylar and Faith Brumback. He is also survived by numerous cousins and friends including (practically) life-long best friend, James Samuel. Paul also leaves behind a hands-on living legacy – a Trans Am Special Edition that he bought brand new in 1977. The classic muscle car will remain a cherished family heirloom for generations to come.
Paul was decent and kind with a great sense of humor. He was an excellent cook. He loved music. A man of few words, he was a hard worker in the Western tradition and respected by all who knew him. Though the sorrow of his passing remains, his family is now comforted by the thought that he is now their better angel, a quiet presence beyond the veil, guiding and protecting them daily.
A private Celebration of Life will be held later in the summer.
Rest easy now, our beloved brother. We’ll catch up with you again somewhere down the road.
