Obituary: Mark Paulin

A lifetime of applied curiosity

Mark was born on March 25, 1958, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. When he was 8 years old, his parents, Judy and Neil Paulin, moved the family to Hood River, Oregon, where Mark grew up alongside his two younger brothers, Dale and John.

Entrepreneur and Eagle Scout

From a young age, Mark demonstrated drive and initiative. He played Little League baseball, delivered newspapers for The Oregonian to more than 60 customers by age 12, and was active in the Boy Scouts, earning both his Webelos and Eagle Scout badges.

A passion for how things work

Inspired by his father, a self-taught engineer, Mark developed an insatiable curiosity about how things worked. Long before computers were commonplace, he was taking apart telephones and adding machines to study their mechanisms. As a teenager, he embraced the emerging era of electronics, building his own walkie-talkies and experimenting with circuit boards. A devoted reader of science fiction, he was drawn to the imaginative worlds of Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov.

The original Geek

At Hood River Valley High School, Mark was known for his brilliance in mathematics and his signature look: A calculator and slide rule on his belt and several mechanical pencils in his shirt pocket. He had memorized more than 200 digits of pi and relished solving complex problems. He graduated as a National Merit Scholar with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Mark went on to study mathematics and computer science at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. His senior thesis focused on “Latin Squares,” a foundational concept linked to the early development of string theory.

A pioneer in technology

After college, Mark worked with several early “Silicon Forest” tech companies, helping to develop software for COBOL compilers and early speech recognition systems. Later, at General Electric, he served as an IT strategist, contributing to innovations in tracking and routing the thousands of railcars that keep the U.S. supply chain moving.

A lifelong tinkerer

Even after retiring in 2020, Mark remained intellectually active. At the time of his passing, he was designing a more efficient camshaft for automotive engines — a testament to his enduring passion for innovation.

Survived by

Mark is survived by his mother, Judy Judd; his brothers, John Paulin and Dale Paulin; his beloved dog, Bonnie; and many other family members and friends who will miss his intellect, humor, and generous spirit.

Service information

A service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 18 at the Upper Valley Parkdale Cemetery, 6917 Allen Road, Parkdale, Oregon. Arrangements are under the care of Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Avenue, Hood River, Oregon 97031. To share a memory or leave a note of condolence, please visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com.