Paul Dombrowski
February 08, 1935 - October 22, 2021
Obituary
MONONA - Paul B. Dombrowski, age 86, died peacefully in bed on Friday afternoon, Oct. 22, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard F. Dombrowski in 1965 and Tess J. (Sobocinski) Dombrowski in 1989.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., on Feb. 8, 1935, Paul earned a bachelor’s degree there before coming to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to complete a Master’s Degree in Art Education (1957) and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Lithography (1959). In 1960, he joined the UW Department of Geology and Geophysics as a graphic artist. He fondly recalled student seminars, examining the ancient stories which rocks reveal, and swimming in Lake Mendota.
Besides departmental publications and original oil drawings purchased by the Madison Art Center, his most visible lasting work is the two-story stained-glass window he designed for the Geology Museum at Weeks Hall on the UW campus.
Paul appreciated life as an artist, reflexively noting form and hues in anything he commented on. He delighted in cultivating friendships while collecting art and relics from Asian, European, African, Byzantine and Native American cultures and religions. He fastidiously composed every corner of his environment as a still life, from his modest, beloved yard and gardens to his desktops and closets. Sometimes disparate artifacts interacted-a water buffalo figurine examined the inside of an interestingly colored plastic bottle cap; a tiny porcelain duck and a Japanese bone carving of a woman faced each other in discussion. He could demonstrate the history of Eurasian trade by comparing the designs of brass candlesticks.
In retirement, Paul enjoyed leisurely visits to antique shops and extended dinner conversations in diners and buffet restaurants. He wove sensory aspects of each moment into operatic stories. Sometimes his captivating autobiographical tales were factual. He was a superb party guest who could draw any lone stranger into conversation, lingering to the end to ensure quality time with the host as well. Fond of NPR and BBC radio, Paul proudly owned neither TV nor computer.
Paul’s friends heartily thank the caring and attentive staff at Ingleside Skilled Nursing. Following Paul’s wishes, there will be no funeral. Gunderson Camacho Funeral and Cremation Care in Mount Horeb is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson Camacho Mount Horeb
Funeral & Cremation Care
500 N. Eighth St.
(608) 437-5077
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Memories
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Ken S.
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Though he guarded his privacy, Paul did take great pride in showing off his yard. A 2003 State Journal full-page feature gave a tour, with Paul explaining how he sculpted his small plot with layers of trees and shrubs and simple plants shared from neighbors, displaying different shades of green and grey rather than relying on bright colored flowers as highlights. In 2008 he made the Isthmus weekly when vandalism to the Obama yard sign in his front yard revealed some questionably restrictive sign ordinances in Monona and elsewhere in Wisconsin. We will miss his unique perspective on everything!
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Stephanie
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"He was a superb party guest who could draw any lone stranger into conversation, lingering to the end to ensure quality time with the host as well." What a beautifully written description of Paul. He was such an interesting man and I loved working with him at Ingleside! Your description above is just perfect. He would always stay behind an activity and talk to me while cleaning up. My fondest memory was the day that Paul and I danced, him in his w/c self propelling, around the activity room as others watched. Rest in peace friend.
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Brian Bigler
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I met Paul for the first time back in the 1980s when he was weaving a "tale" with the owner of the antique store I worked at in Mount Horeb. A friendship that spanned decades ensued. He living in Monona and I in Mount Horeb meant that there were almost daily phone calls - very long ones. I knew who was calling if we had a big rain or snow storm and it was always him asking if we were getting the same thing "out there." Paul could be a challenge some days when he was upset about something but he always came around and I was always game to figure out if what he was telling me was true or just one of his well crafted tales. I do believe the story of his bite from a rattlesnake in his back yard, the one that died three days later - blamed on him - because I saw the two red puncture marks on his left hand. Ken and I miss him dearly - no worries now Paul.
JH
Jack Holzhueter
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Everyone who knows Paul thanks Brian Bigler and Ken Scott for their unflagging care of Paul. I am especially grateful because I have known Paul since the 1960s, although age and circumstances have curtailed our interactions in recent years. His acerbic wit and long memory made him good, and often exasperating, company. He once sneaked into my apartment, discovered a freshly baked sheet cake, and walked off with the four corner slices. He cackled about that prank for well over 50 years. I smiled, never joined in the cackling. Every friend of Paul's can tell a similar story, and Brian and Ken could compile their own substantial volume of them. Thank you, my friends, for taking care of one of my oldest friends and seeing him through to the end. Jack Holzueter P.S. to Gundersons. Please make it easier to find this page, especially for old, computer illiterates like me.
DD
Dar Dankert
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First met Paul in the 80’s when he came to my house asking if he could dig up some hostas, because he had just bought a home in Monona and he was 56 years old and didn’t have time for little sprigs of a plant to grow. From there a friendship evolved as well as many stories. Rest In Peace Paul, you are missed. Dar
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Bob B.
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I'll really miss my neighbor Paul. I enjoyed talking with him about his yard, his art collection, his parents, his caretakers when he was a boy, and his stories about Georgia O'Keeffe.