FREDERICKSBURG – Paul A. Besancon passed away Friday, May 23, 2008 at Wooster Community Hospital while in Hospice care.
Family and Friends may call on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at McIntire Davis and Greene Funeral Home 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 9 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church 527 Beall Ave., Wooster. Internment will be at the Calmoutier Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care of Greater Wayne County 2525 Back Orrville Rd., Wooster, OH 4691 or to the American Cancer Society 525 N. Broad St., Canfield, OH 44406.
Paul was born on July 4, 1929 at his family’s farm home outside Fredericksburg to Clarence and Clara (Malcuit) Besancon and graduated from Fredericksburg High School. He married his life mate Janice I. Brown on July 7, 1957. She survives.
He was a man of true faith and he passed that faith down to his family. He received his strength from his Lord and Savior, his loving father, brothers and sisters. He demonstrated his faith through his commitment in marriage to Jan Janny B., provided for his family and taught his children how to live and enjoy life. He was a true humanitarian. He was a loving father and grandfather. He read scripture daily and shared that love of reading with his grandchildren. Faith, love and loyalty were the principles he lived by. He was a storyteller and poet. One example of his kindness was shown – It would take him forty-five minutes to run to the Fredericksburg grocery to get one half gallon of milk because he would stop along the way to engage in conversation with the many friends he encountered. During his adult life he was a member of the St. Mary Catholic Community after having grown up in the French Catholic Community of Calmoutier in northern Holmes County. He worked with a very special group of friends at Petrolane Gas for 38 years, retiring in 1991, served as Trustee for the Calmoutier Cemetery Trust Fund, served as board member for the Southeast Local Schools, was awarded the Citizen of the Year by the Fredericksburg Community in 2003 and was a member of the American Legion Post 651 in Fredericksburg.
He is survived by his children, who feel honored to have had him as their father, Elizabeth Rodhe of Fredericksburg, Diane (Gary) Clark of Wooster, Susan (David) Shultzman of Apple Creek, Mary (Danny) Glenn of Dalton, Jackie (Dave) Piatt of Wooster, John (Connie) Besancon of Freeport and Ann (Don) Grove of Dover. Also surviving are 15 grandchildren, six great grandchildren, his dear and loving siblings Rita Fry of Wooster, Bernadine Gallagher of Apple Creek, Mary Herr of Herndon, Virginia and Walter Besancon of Apple Creek.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Quinten, Justin and Joseph.
Dad was a simple man, a loving husband to his wife, faithful teacher to his family, kind to all and it is with immense love and joy that we thank him for the beauty of his life.

Memorial Contributions
Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Wayne County or The American Cancer Society

Service
Mass of Christian Burial 9:00 A.M. Wed. May 28, 2008 at St. Mary Catholic Church

Visitation
6-9 P.M. Tuesday May 27, 2008 at the Funeral Home