Paul Schell

Paul R. Schell, age 72, of Faribault, MN, passed away Monday, December 21, 2020 at the St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN.

Paul Revier was born on January 28, 1948 in Redwood Falls, MN to Reinhard and Leone (Revier) Schell.  He grew up in Redwood Falls and always had a place in his heart for his hometown.  Paul met his wife and love of his life, Annie Kaul, at the University of Minnesota in the Newman Center, while sharing a song sheet.  They were married on April 14, 1971 in Minneapolis.  Paul graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting, after studying electrical engineering for over three years.  He decided to pursue his love of art and made a career of it as the Art Director at the Faribault Woolen Mills.

Paul loved sailing.  He owned several sailboats, one in the Pepin Marina, and several in his very own backyard “shipyard”.  In addition to boating, he loved adventure and the outdoors, including cross country skiing, hiking, and backpacking.  He instilled a love of the outdoors in his children.  Although he would never admit it, Paul played the trumpet with great skill, and played in many varieties of community bands including the Bandshell Brass of Faribault.  Paul could often be seen with a drawing or painting kit in hand in various locations.  He has built up a large collection of wonderful watercolor paintings from around Faribault and his travels around the state, county, country, and overseas.

Paul was a devoted Christian, who humbly followed his Savior.  He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.  He and Annie had eight children and 10 grandchildren (so far) who loved him dearly.  He loved teaching them from his vast repertoire of science, math, art, and sailing, with drawings, object lessons, and very funny stories.  All eight of his kids were heavily involved in sports and music, and Paul rarely missed any one of their games or concerts.  His children attended most local schools, including Faribault Public Schools, Bethlehem Academy, Shattuck-St. Mary’s, and Faribault Lutheran Schools.  He always made sure the education and environment was the best fit for the child.

He is survived by his loving wife, Annie Schell of Faribault; Sam (Ellie) Schell of Faribault – their children, Jackson and Josephine, Eliza (Ryan) Reuter of Duluth – their children, Louis, Simon, and Hans, Peter (Kelly McNeil) Schell of Seattle, WA, John (Alyssa) Schell of Inver Grove Heights, Susanna (Ralf) Medina of Faribault – their son, Tom, Christopher (Maggie) Schell of Ningbo, China, Margaret (Tony) Crombie of Faribault – their children, Zion, Teddy, Ezra, and Shepherd, and Thomas Schell of Seattle, WA; brother, Mark (Yvonne) Schell; nephew, Nate (Tina) Schell of Sartell, MN; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Reinhard and Leone.

Private family services will be held on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at The River Church in Faribault.  Interment will be at the St. Lawrence Cemetery in Faribault.  All are welcomed to watch the livestream of the service through a link on Paul’s obituary page at www.ParkerKohlFuneralHome.com