Paul Dean Staat was born on August 4, 1956, to Garrett Staat, Jr. and Mary Dukelow Staat in Valparaiso, Indiana. He was the fourth of five children, Roberta, David, and Ruth; a younger sister, Debbie died shortly after birth. Paul went to school in Fontana, Wisconsin, Mauston, Wisconsin, and Joplin, Missouri. He attended Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, majoring in Music Perform and Technical Theatre, and graduating in 1978. Paul married Becky Smith in 1976. Daughter Emily was born in 1979 and son Nicholas arrived in 1981. Paul lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he worked as a photojournalist for Channel 8 and Channel 6. He was an active member of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church where he was instrumental in helping begin their TV Broadcast ministry. He participated in church mission trips, including one to Haiti where he documented the team's medical work. In 1985 Paul followed a grain shipment purchased with funds raised by Tulsa's school children from Tulsa to Ethiopia's Northern Shoa province, documenting the effort to feed their people at the height of Ethiopia's famine.

In 1990 Paul married Mary Staat. They moved to Portland, Oregon where Paul worked for KGW TV and continued to be recognized for his outstanding work as a journalist, winning an Emmy for his documentary, "Children of the Fields". In 1993 their daughter Katherine was born, and his family was complete. Beginning in 1992, Paul worked for several media sales companies in Portland. However, he had long felt a call to full-time ministry, and in 2002 began working as assistant to the District Superintendent of the Portland Metro area United Methodist Church, future bishop Minerva Carcano. In that role, he developed community ministries in a blighted urban setting.

In 2006, Paul, Mary and Kate returned to Tulsa to help Mary's parents and to be near Emily and Nick. The family rejoined BAUMC. Paul attended Phillips Theological Seminary from 2007- 2010, earning his Master of Arts in Ministry and Culture. Paul served on the staff of Boston Avenue Methodist Church as an associate minister from 2007 until 2015.

Paul three times overcame cancer, survived two bone marrow transplants, and experienced many other health challenges beginning in 2010. He faced those as he did everything with grace, great faith, intense love, and remarkable strength and courage. Paul's deepest desires were to serve God, to love his family and share the love of God with the community.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Staat; mother, Mary Dukelow Staat; daughter Emily Staat Crooks and husband Justin, son Nick Staat and wife Megan, and daughter Kate Staat Barnes and husband Luke; sister Roberta Staat and husband George Neiderehe, brother David Staat and wife Virginia, sister Ruth Kirby and husband John. Paul has six beautiful grand children whom he loved dearly, and six nieces and nephews. His beloved church family, friends and colleagues will miss him dearly.

Services will be held at the Boston Avenue Methodist Church on Thursday, July 5, at 10:00 AM