Obituary of Paul Joseph Bettasso

PAUL BETTASSO Paul Joseph Bettasso died Nov. 23, 2014. He was born Nov. 8, 1925, in Clinton, Ind., to Anna Peperok and Michae Bettasso. He graduated from a Catholic school when he was 17. He served in the Army Air Force for 27 months at the end of World War II. He went to college for one year in Terre Houte, Ind. He then worked in a steel mill in Michigan for a year. He came to Camas on a vacation to visit his brother and liked the area so much he went to work at Crown Zellerbach paper mill for the next 45 years. He met Mary Peake at the mill, and they were married Sept. 3, 1950. They had two daughters, Rosemary and Michelle. He had one grandson, Paul Vincent Elder, who passed away Sept. 9, 2003, while in the Army. Paul and Mary were kind and queen of Camas Days in 1992. Paul was in the Knights of Columbus, the Veterans of Foreign Wars where he served as commander for one year, the American Legion, the Moose, and was a member of the Fern Prairie Modelers model airplane club — he was one of the first 12 original members. He also loved to play golf, fish and hunt. He was a lector as St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Camas. Paul and Mary traveled extensively in the United States and Canada. They loved dancing, gardening, entertaining and working in senior activities. He also was Santa's helper for many years at the community center. Mary passed away in 1996. He married Donna George in 2001, and they traveled extensively across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Alaska and Canada. He embraced Donna's five children as his own. The are Michael Cahill and Charlene of Florida, Patricia Cahill Allen now deceased of Massachusetts, Marsha Cahill Coleman and Terry of Derry, N.H., Kathleen Cahill Rollins and James of Spokane, Wash., and Timothy Cahill and Carol of Weare, N.H. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. A funeral mass was held Nov. 29, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Interment was at Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Vancouver. Straub's Funeral Home in Camas was in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations can be made to hospice or Fr. Justus Kiiza at the Kabale Education Fund at www.kabalefund.org. To send condolences or sign the online guest book, visit www.straubsfuneralhome.com.