Paul Alan Berghuis

Paul was a class of 1977 graduate of Auburn High School. During high school he was active in several sports including football, basketball and track. He was a member of the school newspaper, played viola, and was a counselor for the 6th grade trips to Camp Orkila.

Paul attended Pacific Lutheran University where he graduated with a B.A. in Biology. He went on to the University of Washington in Seattle and received a Post Baccalaureate degree in Psychology. Paul attended Medical School at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (now called Western University of Health Sciences) in Pomona, CA. Paul started his post-graduate training at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO where he did a General Surgery Residency. Ultimately he decided to change his focus to Anesthesiology and became a resident in Anesthesiology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, NH. After two years he became Chief Resident and Clinical Instructor of Anesthesiology at Dartmouth. He was offered a faculty position there, but rather than accept the position Paul moved his young family back to Washington to be closer to family. The family moved in 1992 with Paul taking an Anesthesiology position at Skagit Valley Hospital. He worked diligently there for 10 years before moving over to Skagit Island Orthopedic surgery center in 2003, where he was affectionately called “Dr.B” until his forced medical retirement in 2019. Paul met his wife Jane while working at the surgery center, they married on September 12, 2014 in Sorrento, Italy.

Other jobs that Paul held in his career were mental health work, Lions Eye Bank surgical technician, medical assistant, business secretary and selling programs at Longacres Horse Racetrack.

Paul served in the U.S. Army Reserves for several years and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.

Paul enjoyed many things: Reading, woodworking, running and fitness, traveling, old movies, song lyrics/trivia, gourmet food and fine wine, and was an expert mixologist! He was a season ticket holder at the University of Washington for both basketball and football. In recent years he was unable to do many of these things due to his disease but he still loved to watch sports, especially Huskies basketball and football. He also loved reminiscing about his days at PLU when his Football team won the 1980 NAIA Div 2 National Championship. His most recent joy was playing with our dog Charlee and taking her for walks before that was no longer possible. Charlee became a favorite of everyone at the memory care center where Paul spent his last seven months.

Paul is survived by his wife, Jane and pup Charlee. His children: Jennifer (Nick) Cronquist-grandsons Ty, Zahne, Glenn (Lacey,WA), Diane (Kyle Blanton) Berghuis-grandson Carter (Sedro Woolley, WA) and Steven (Brittney) Berghuis-granddaughter due this spring (Seattle, WA), and his brother Robert Berghuis (Seattle, WA). Other survivors that will miss Paul are Jane’s daughters Elise Fast and Molli Kaptein and Jane’s family in Iowa.

Paul was preceded in death by his mother in 2015 and his father in 2021.

A special thank you to the staff of Birchview Memory Care in Sedro Woolley, WA and Hospice of the Northwest for their care for Paul.

A memorial celebration of life will be held for Paul on Friday, January 19th at 1:30pm at Radius Church, 2111 Riverside Dr. Mount Vernon, WA