Obituary of Paul Medlar

Paul Medlar, a 79-year-old lifelong educator and founding member of the Bledsoe Fire Department, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025. Paul was born in Portland, Oregon. Paul, his parents and younger sister lived a life of the American dream in Beaverton, Oregon.They were very involved in church, worked hard, enjoyed camping and travel.  Paul participated in Scouts and earned the top rank of Eagle Scout. Paul attended the University of Oregon. He was active in student government, and developed interests in politics, justice, and environmental issues. Paul spent his summers during college break working for the US Forest Service where he further developed his love of nature and a love of the mountains in Washington and Oregon. He lived in fire towers and spent his days scanning his territory in the Cascade Mountains for forest fires. Paul graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Economics. After college, Paul got an urge to travel and ended up in Miami, Florida. He attended the University of Miami and earned a Masters Degree in Education under a program that served impoverished areas of the country. Paul taught elementary school in the inner city of Cleveland, Ohio for 3 years. He loved teaching, the children, and visiting families, which often included a home cooked meal. Then, Paul missed the mountains and found employment in Harlan County, Kentucky for a total of 27 years. Again, he loved teaching the children, meeting their families, and never turning down an invite to supper. He taught the first Gifted and Talented Program and was the first to introduce computers in the classroom in the county. Paul loved taking students on field trips to Frankfort, KY and Washington DC. He wanted students to appreciate how our government works. Many of his students had never been out of the county. After retirement from Harlan County schools, Paul was principal of Holy Trinity Catholic school in Harlan for 5 years. Paul met his wife, Mary, in Kentucky. They settled down in Bledsoe, KY and had two sons. Paul and family traveled extensively during summer breaks, touring national parks, baseball stadiums, and visiting family. Back home in the mountains of Eastern KY, Paul loved taking hikes, often with his sons and a faithful assortment of dogs. Paul and Mary have been married 51 years and have 2 sons, Jack and Stephen. Stephen is married to Kaja and they have 2 daughters, Camas and Luna. Paul was very community minded and was a founding member of the Bledsoe volunteer fire department in Harlan County. He worked tirelessly with the department for over 18 years. In addition, Paul was an active member of both Holy Trinity and St. William Catholic Churches and other civic organizations. Paul and Mary retired to London, Ky, where Paul oversaw the building of their home on lovely Wood Creek Lake. Paul loved his home and did part time work as a substitute teacher in the Laurel County Schools. Instead of mountain hikes, he prided himself on long walks and tracking his steps. In retirement, one of Paul’s favorite pastimes was attending Cincinnati Reds baseball games and afterward enjoying LaRosa’s pizza and a cold IPA with his sons. Paul and Mary moved to Frankfort to be closer to family and be better prepared to proceed with Paul’s diagnosis of Alzheimers. Paul lived at his Frankfort home, then Morning Pointe, and finally Crestview in Shelbyville, Ky. He remained pleasant and always loved seeing family and friends. Paul had a very full life. And we are grateful to be a part of it. Visitation will be at Rogers Funeral Home in Frankfort on Thursday, September 4th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, with a memorial service following at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, Mr. Medlar's family asks that donations be made to the Bledsoe Volunteer Fire Department or Alzheimer's Association.