Paul Sobka
Paul James Sobka
Paul was a gentle, kind and loving human being. Although he never married and never had children, he was an incredible brother, son, uncle, godfather, friend, and inspiration to all who were lucky enough to know him. His random acts of kindness, his wisdom and insight, and his compassion warmed the soul and provided unconditional love and comfort, as did the huge bear hugs he would give on a moment's notice. When Paul initially returned from Vietnam, he struggled with his adjustment back to civilian life in the United States and fled his life in California to work in remote Alaska. It was 20 years later, when PTSD was officially recognized that he was properly diagnosed, and he participated in a pilot program at the Vancouver Washington VA that helped him tremendously and brought him back into the lives of his friends and family. For the rest of his life Paul lived a quiet and peaceful life in Vancouver near the VA Center where he spent many years highly involved in the DAV and volunteering in the VA hospital. In 2017, Paul was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Esophageal Cancer, and he died 4 months later. Paul had only gratitude for the VA and was proud of his time in the Army. Until the end he served as an inspiration and will never be forgotten.