Paul Silas Trapp

Paul was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on Easter morning, April 11th, 1982, to Pastor Thomas Harry Trapp (born in New Ulm, Minnesota) and Carol Renee (Huffman) Trapp (born in Charles City, Iowa).

He was baptized as a child of God on April 18th, 1982, and grew in faith through the ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel. He was blessed with the opportunity to meet people from across the world through Chapel International Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. He was confirmed in his faith on June 2nd, 1996, at Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel.

Paul’s childhood was filled with action figures, Legos, dressing as super heroes with his brothers, vacations with family, music, and art.

He attended Eastside Lutheran School from 1987 to 1996, Lakeside Lutheran High School from 1996 to 2000, and Bethany Lutheran College from 2000 to 2002, then graduated in 2004. He spent his undergrad junior year, fall semester, at Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy, and spring semester at Milwaukee Institute of Art.

He married the love of his life, Julaine Christine Sparley, on June 18th, 2004, at Trinity Chapel, in Mankato, Minnesota. Together they moved to Naju, South Korea to teach ESL from July 2004 to July 2005. 

Upon their return stateside, they moved to Mankato and managed BLC's Edgewood Place apartments while he completed his Masters in Art at Minnesota State University in Mankato, graduating in 2008.

They were blessed with the birth of their son, Ephraim Cornelius Trapp, on September 9th, 2006, at 11:49 PM. 

The family moved to Bloomington, Illinois in 2008 so that Paul could pursue his Master of Fine Art at Illinois State University, graduating in 2011. 

He taught at Illinois State University and Heartland Community College in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, and also worked as an art gallery assistant and at DESTIHL Brewery & Beer Hall while they lived in Bloomington.

They moved to Oregon in June 2013, first living in Oregon City, then Tigard. He taught art at Concordia Lutheran College in Portland until its closure in 2020. During the summers he would bartend at Oregon City Brewing Company. 

He was called to be academic dean and the 7th and 8th grade homeroom teacher at Parkland Lutheran School in Parkland, Washington in 2021.  

Paul joined the Church Triumphant and Eternal at 11:49 PM, Pacific Standard Time, on January 31, 2024, with the love of his life at his side. 

Paul’s unfailing love for his family and friends was evident throughout his life. He treasured time with them and found great joy in making others laugh. He was unrelenting in his support and encouragement of those around him. Church life was always his highest priority and he consistently sought and found ways to serve others. His passions were teaching, art, and music. Paul’s love for God and art were closely connected, and he created images of the beauty he observed from his Creator’s hand. He was never afraid to share the love of Jesus and found that simple kindness was all it took to show Christ’s love to others. He was known for his patience, wisdom, laughter, and incredible memory for facts, dates, names, movies, music, and obscure oddities. 

Paul is survived by his beloved wife, Julaine, and cherished son, Ephraim; his mother, Carol Trapp, and his brothers, Peter (Kalinda) Trapp, and Philip Trapp; his in-laws, Steven (Janice) Sparley, David (Nikki) Sparley, Laura (Trenton) Boyd, Kirsten Sparley, and Míša (Martin) Bilitz; four nieces, Ava, Eliana, Lila, and River, and two nephews, Cael and Atlas; and countless extended family and friends. 

He is preceded in death by his father, Thomas Trapp, and grandmother, Eva Huffman.

Blessed be his memory

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