Paul Fulton Sims

Paul Fulton Sims, age 63, of Abilene, passed away Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at his residence after a battle with cancer. Funeral services will be at 2:30 pm Thursday, July 26, 2007 at Zion Lutheran Church with Rev. Clyde Kieshnick officiating, assisted by Rev. E. F. Schoenborn of San Antonio. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park. Visitation for family and friends will be from 5:00 to 7:00 pm Wednesday at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Paul was born on August 17, 1943 to parents Doyle Sims and Frances Kinnibrugh Sims. At a very early age his mother remarried and Wesley Witt became his Dad. His late grandparents, Ernest and Helen Kinnibrugh, of Vera, always provided a favorite place to go to the ranch as he was growing up. He was baptized as a young man in the Methodist faith. He attended schools in San Antonio and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1961. He attended San Antonio College for a short time before his family moved to Lubbock where he met Darleene Dunning who was attending Texas Tech University. In the summer of 1964, he worked for Jim Herb Drilling of Abilene. He married Darleene Dunning on August 29, 1964 at Zion Lutheran Church in Abilene. While working for Cactus Drilling, they lived in Odessa, Lovington, NM, Lubbock and Levelland. During this time Darleene graduated from Texas Tech and in 1967, Paul was "encouraged" by his father-in-law, Pete Dunning to return to college to complete his degree. They moved to Abilene and he worked for Gideon/Threlkeld Heating & Air Conditioning while attending classes at McMurry College and later Abilene Christian College. He also mowed yards, shod horses and remodeled houses "on the side". A daughter, Shelley Darleene was born December 5, 1969. He graduated from ACC in 1971 and had started work on a Masters Program in Psychology. From 1975 to 1985, Paul owned Chaparral Motors. In 1985, the family moved to Albany where he leased the Merrick Davis and Buck Nail Ranches. He loved his family and friends, his cattle, his horses, and ranch life. Conservation upkeep and improvements of the ranches were always of utmost importance. The hunters, who shared his knowledge of wildlife and the ranch, became good friends. Abilene again became home in 1997. At the time of his death, Paul was employed by Bible Hardware, one of his favorite places for many years. Paul was blessed with a genuine friendship of about 40 years with Jim Walraven. Jim lovingly nick-named him "Genius" and many stories can be told and many more remembered. Paul was preceded in death by his mother and daddy and in-laws, Pete and Alma Dunning. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Darleene, daughter, Shelley and son-in-law, John Hamilton, of Mansfield; his brothers, Bruce Sims, of San Antonio, and Leighton Witt of Abilene; grandchildren, Blake Reid Boles, Evan Paul Hamilton and Macy Diane Hamilton, all of Mansfield, nieces Pam Witt of Washington State and Tammy Witt of Abilene. Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran Church, 2801 Antilley Road, Abilene, Texas, Hendrick Hospice Care, 1682 Hickory Street, Abilene, Texas 79601, or to the American Cancer Society, 209 South Danville, Building B, Suite 107, Abilene, Texas 79605.