Paul Bothwell Diehl

Paul B. Diehl went Home to Jesus on July 8, 2026, in his home in Deerwood, Minnesota, surrounded by the love of his family and the views of nature.

Please join the family in celebrating Paul's life on Monday, August 3, 2026, at Bemidji Covenant Church. The memorial service will begin at 11:00 a.m., and the family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

Paul was born on October 20, 1950, to Antoni (Toni) M. Diehl and Sybil R. Bothwell in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He and his three siblings were raised in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout before graduating from Shawnee Mission East High School in 1968. Paul went on to earn Bachelor of Science degrees from Kansas State University in Building Construction Management in 1972 and Business in 1973. Paul came to understand how one choice could shape the rest of his life when he agreed to a blind date arranged by a close high school friend. That one date marked the beginning of 48 years with the love of his life, Sarah. On May 22, 1971, Paul and Sarah L. Hunsucker were married at Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. They began married life in Jardine Apartments in Manhattan, Kansas. In 1973, they moved into their first home in Lenexa, where their daughter, Laurie, was born in 1975. Four years later, Paul and Sarah built a home in Overland Park just in time to welcome their son, Jamie. For the next 27 years, Paul and Sarah made their home in Overland Park while Paul built a career in project management. He served as a partner in Maxfield Simon Diehl Construction Inc. (1983–1990), president of Diehl Construction Co., Inc. (1990–1999), and senior vice president of project management with Trammell Crow Company (1999–2006). In 2006, the northern woods called Paul and Sarah to the Bemidji area, where he founded Diehl Project Management, Inc. (2007–2020).

Paul had a tenacity for life. So, when someone suggested he might enjoy real estate, he did what he always did—he researched it thoroughly and jumped in with both feet. After earning his Minnesota real estate license in 2015, he joined Counselor Realty of Bemidji, where he was able to do what he loved most: build relationships. For Paul, real estate was about far more than helping clients find a house. It was about getting to know people and walking alongside them as they found a home.

In January 2020, Sarah passed away unexpectedly. Paul was active in the Bemidji area until 2023, when Jesus blessed him with love and joy once again through his marriage to Barb Grimes in Edmond, Oklahoma. He joined Barb in the homes she lived in Deerwood, Minnesota, and Edmond, Oklahoma sharing life, adventures, and family. Paul was also blessed with Barb's children, Brian, and his wife, Erin, and Erika, and their families. Paul was blessed with 75 well-lived years. Jesus and family were at the center of his life. His relationship with Jesus shaped the way he loved his family, cared for others, and served his community. Paul was a devoted husband, and to his children he was their role model in every season of life. He considered it one of life's greatest honors to stand beside his son as his best man when Jamie said "I do" to the love of his life, Kendra. Paul and his daughter, Laurie, treasured their annual walk around Lake Windigo, where they enjoyed uninterrupted time to "solve the world's problems"—or so they hoped. Those quiet conversations became some of their most cherished memories together.

Serving others came naturally to Paul. Whether through a meaningful conversation, a handwritten note, a follow-up phone call, or a simple expression of gratitude, he had a remarkable way of making people feel seen, appreciated, and important. His signature question, "Tell me more about that," reflected a genuine curiosity about others and a sincere desire to know them well. Over the years he served on the Overland Park Planning Commission and helped establish what is now Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Overland Park. After moving to Bemidji, he continued investing in his community as past president of the Bemidji Rotary Club, an ambassador for the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of BNI, the Adventurous Christian Brothers at Bemidji Covenant Church, a mentor with Students First, and a board member of the Sanford Health Foundation of Northern Minnesota. His professional motto—"On budget. On time. Every time."—began as the tagline for his project management company but reflected the way he approached life. People trusted Paul's integrity. They counted on his word. And they remembered the genuine smile that made everyone feel welcome.

In 2008, Paul embraced the role he would proudly say was his favorite—Papa. He adored his grandchildren Briella, Kyla, Kaston, and Breckley, along with his bonus grandchildren Jaxson, Raylee, Peighton, Mason, and Andrew. Whether riding bikes, walking to the park, attending school events, or cheering from the sidelines, he delighted in being part of their lives. Even the family grandpups knew Papa's car. Every year, the family looked forward to two treasured weeks together at the cabin on Star Island in Cass Lake. When life was busy the other 50 weeks of the year, everyone knew those two weeks would bring them back together—to slow down, enjoy one another, and create memories they would cherish forever. Everyone who knew Paul knew he found peace in the outdoors. From canoe trips through the Boundary Waters beginning in high school to hunting, fishing, and sharing nature with family and friends throughout his life, the outdoors became one of the places where he found peace. When he came across something he wasn’t sure about, he would bring it to his outdoorsman son-in-law, Dan, and together they would figure it out. Paul delighted in helping others see what he saw, pointing out poison ivy before anyone wandered into it, examining leaves to recognize trees, identifying pines by their needles and bark, or naming birds simply by their calls.  He never stopped sharing what he loved about the natural world.

In retirement, Paul and Barb embraced new adventures together, enjoying road trips, cruises, vacations to the Dominican Republic, and countless summer evenings on the pontoon on Crooked Lake—with an open invitation to anyone nearby. And, of course, there was Paul's floppy hat. If there was one phrase that captured Paul's heart, it was, "Tell me more about that." He had a genuine gift for making people feel heard, valued, and important. Whether speaking with lifelong friends or someone he had just met, Paul was fully present. Long after conversations ended, people remembered how he made them feel. Paul's life was measured not only by the work he accomplished, but by the people he loved, the lives he touched, and the relationships he nurtured. His family knows the world is dimmer without him, yet brighter because he was here.

Paul was preceded in death by his first wife, Sarah Diehl; his parents, Antoni (Toni) Diehl and Sybil Diehl; his mother-in-law, Shirley Sandler; his brothers-in-law, Robert (Jim) Hunsucker and wife Gail Hunsucker, and Gregory (Greg) Hunsucker and wife Sharon Hunsucker.

He is survived by his wife, Barb Smith Grimes; his daughter, Laurie Komnik and husband Dan Komnik; his son, James (Jamie) Diehl and wife Kendra Diehl, and their children Briella, Kyla, Kaston, and Breckley; his bonus son, Brian Grimes and wife Erin Grimes, and their children Jaxson, Raylee, and Peighton; his bonus daughter, Erika Grimes, and her children Mason and Andrew; his sister, Pam Diehl Michel and husband Leo Michel, and their children Julia Michel and husband Zach Despart, Chloe Michel and husband Justin Ono, and their son Niko Michel-Ono; his sister, Brenda Diehl Gast and husband Lawrence (Skip) Gast; his brother, James (Jim) Diehl; his nieces Becky Morton and husband David Morton, and their children Levi, Jonathan, and Ethan; Crystal Page and husband Richard Page, and his great-niece Paityne Hunsucker; and his nephews Gregory (Greg) Hunsucker II, and James Hunsucker and wife Molly Hunsucker, and their children Matthew, Elijah, Jack and Journey.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.

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