Paul Volkmann

It’s with incredibly heavy hearts that we share the unexpected loss of Paul Volkmann (age 79) who passed on July 19, 2026, in Chelan, WA. He’s preceded in death by his parents (Jack and Elaine), two brothers (Mike and Bill), and daughter (Charlee). He’s survived by his wife (Debbie), brother (Harry), and several sons, daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews (both grand and great).

Paul’s story began in California, born 5/10/47 to Jack and Elaine Volkmann (Jack, a US Navy Pearl Harbor survivor). Paul followed his father's naval footsteps, aspiring to the US Naval Academy but ultimately landing at the University of Washington (UW) and in the US Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program. 

While at the UW, he excelled in mathematics, studied pharmacology, and swam on the All University Champions Navy Swim team (1966). He did his summer cruise on the USS Henderson (DD 785), a US Naval Destroyer, before ultimately receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1967 to pursue a career in pharmacy. More notable than the things he did was the person he would become.

He was a resident of Chelan for 43 years before moving to Wenatchee. During this time, he owned and operated the Lake Chelan Pharmacy, co-owned the Lake Chelan Clinic, and was a member of the Lake Chelan Snowmobile (and Search and Rescue) Club.

He loved his job, but even more so he loved the people. His affiliations and touch points with and within the community put him in contact with so many. So many of us are saddened by his passing. Words cannot express the heartbreak our family is feeling. Yet, it’s the feelings and memories he imprinted on us that comfort us along with divine providence.

Paul was the patriarch of our family in every sense of the word. He married Debbie on March 29, 1991, and so began a beautiful love story and a beloved blended family. He was a husband to Debbie (35 years), a father to 8, a grandpa to 18, and great grandpa to 10. Beyond that, he was a friend, a confidant, and a mentor to so many others. 

Those who knew him have been blessed to have him in their lives. He was always there to extend a helping hand, listen with a tuned ear, and offer encouragement. He embodied tolerance, embraced acceptance, demonstrated forgiveness, and loved unconditionally. He was the kind of man who quietly put everyone else before himself. 

Paul, thank you for your love, your friendship, your strength, your generosity, your guidance, and your unwavering presence. Thank you for being the man behind the camera and capturing so many of our memories for posterity. We will cherish and treasure every picture and every memory you helped both cultivate and create. You will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.

Please keep our entire family in your prayers. Pray for his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren – who adored their father, grandpa, and great grandpa. Please pray for Debbie, as she faces the unimaginable after more than half her life with the love of her life.

We will celebrate Paul, his life, and the impressions he imprinted on us on October 10th from 1-5 at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan, WA.