A Wetzel and Son Obituary for:
Paul Luther Hoifjeld |
February 20, 1955 - April 14, 2019 |
Public Events and Locations
Visitation - Wednesday, June 12, 2019, 2:30 to 3:00 PM at Wetzel and Son, Rockledge
Memorial Service - Wednesday, June 12, 2019, 3:00 PM at Wetzel and Son, Rockledge
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Contacts
Funeral Home -
Wetzel and Son Funeral Home
- 501 Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090 - 215-659-0911 - Map |
Paul Luther Hoifjeld of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania died Sunday, April 14, 2019 at Phoenixville Hospital. He was 64 years old. Paul was born February 20, 1955, beloved son of Rev. Clairold and Virginia Hoifjeld (nee - Helberg); brother of Grace Esther Klick and her husband Ronald, Mark Wesley Hoifjeld, and Ruth Deborah Hoifjeld.
The following obituary was composed and submitted by Grace Klick.
PAUL
Pretty Awesome Unique Lad
“Be kind and compassionate to one another”
Ephesians 4:32
Such a simple premise, and yet seemingly far too difficult to find in the world of today. My brother, Paul, in his own version of life, chose to grab hold of this Christian concept for as far back as I can remember. Outside of the now insignificant sibling rivalry that escapes no family, Paul’s outlook on life, and the way he treated others, was nothing less than kind and compassionate.
Being born into a strong Christian household does not gaurantee that one will automatically follow Jesus’s teachings and apply them from the heart. Somewhere along the way, very early on, Paul developed a sincere desire to be interested in other people. It was not his place to judge, and he knew that internally from a very young age.
I’ve heard it said that, “The person you are is not determined by how many people you love ... but by how many people love you.” Whether or not anyone might debate that is neither here nor there. Paul loved many ... and so very many loved Paul.
Countless stories and experiences have come my way since Paul died. ... Stories from friends, relatives and acquaintances. ...Stories of Paul, at all points in his life, giving of himself to help another. Some of these I knew. Many just reinforced what I already knew. Paul was special.
Paul’s integrity is what inspired me most. At the age of seven, I learned that Paul (who was eight at that time) had something that I wouldn’t develop for years. I didn’t know what it was back then, but I knew that I wanted to have it.
We had a wonderful uncle whom Paul and I would see on a regular basis. This uncle was very kind to us and used to joke around and make up stories. He told Paul and I that “Pastor Jelly Beans” was going to be coming to us in the middle of the night and he would fill our shoes with jelly beans ... BUT ONLY if we believed in him.
It was a blessing to be raised in a home where we were taught the truth about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Paul and I both knew that “Pastor Jelly Beans” did not exist ... but ... I went along with my uncle’s story. Paul, however, did not. At eight years old, he declared with conviction, “There is no such thing as Pastor Jelly Beans.” He was put to the test again the next morning when the rest of our shoes were filled with jelly beans and his were not. Given the chance to recant and receive, he refused and kept his integrity. To many that might seem unimportant. To me , it was life changing. What a magnificent example!
Although later in life, Paul developed a number of illnesses, it is the wonderful gifts that God bestowed upon him that people remember.
Paul was brilliant. He was put on independent study in Junior High School because the teachers didn’t know what else to teach him. He received the science award at his graduation in a class of four hundred.
Paul was able to hear a song on the radio and sit down and play it by ear on the piano. He taught himself how to play the guitar as well.
Paul had an amazing artistic sense. His paintings and drawings were something beyond good.
Through his adult years and different illnesses, I was blessed to know Paul in a different way. As he acted less on his God given talents ... he maintained an outward expression of care and concern for others. He would meet someone of a different background and he would learn what he could of their language. He would talk to others of a different religion and he would ask them questions about their beliefs. I never saw or heard him judge anyone.
Paul was named after the apostle in the Bible. One of the last times I spoke with Paul on the phone he was saying, “Praise God!” All things considered, it seems appropriate that we close with some words from the apostle Paul. ... Words that reflect how Paul lived his life.
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
1 Corintihians 13:4-8
Relatives and friends were invited to his visitation on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 from 2:30 P.M. and memorial service at 3:00 P.M. at Wetzel and Son Funeral Home, 419 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA 19046.
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