Profiles in Philanthropy: Paul J. Staddler
While memorial scholarships are often started by a loved one's survivors, Paul Staddler was
instrumental in launching his own lasting memorial just weeks before his tragic death
from non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
"The first week of August 2004, life as we knew it changed," recalls Paul's wife Doris Haines-Staddler. "Paul was preparing for a stem cell transplant when he was told the cancer had spread, and he had only weeks to live. He put many things on the fast track, including development of this scholarship." Paul's wish was to have memorial money used for a meaningful purpose through the Paul J. Staddler Physical Education/Health Scholarship.
No stranger to philanthropic giving, Paul began another scholarship endowment 10 years earlier for UWSP health promotion majors. At the time, he was working for a pharmaceutical company and wanted a scholarship geared toward wellness/health promotion. Paul changed careers in 1998 and began teaching physical education and health classes, as well as coaching, at Wisconsin Rapids East Junior High. His intent with the second scholarship was to honor his new career. "Teaching and coaching brought joy to his soul," Doris says. His excellence in teaching and coaching achieved statewide recognition in 2001 when he was awarded the Kohl Fellowship Award for Teaching Excellence.
While people often remember their alma mater in wills after they die, Paul felt strongly about making a difference while he was still alive. "Paul did not believe that you wait till your dying day for that kind of important stuff," Doris says. "This latest scholarship is a memorial to him from family, friends, students, colleagues and our community for living a life well and giving his all during the short time he was here."
The Paul Staddler family began to host a golf outing summer 2005 in his honor, with proceeds going to the Paul Staddler Scholarship endowments and to the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society to fund research and development activities.