Orange, VT

Paul Wilfred Duprey, formerly of Montpelier, passed away in the afternoon of October 14, 2022 at his home in East Orange, Vermont at the age of 75.

Nobody could tell a tale quite like Paul Duprey and if you had the pleasure of hearing him spin a yarn or two, I bet it's stuck with you. He was quick witted, passionate and uniquely mischievous. With a twinkle in his eye and a flash of his grin he could have you captivated and laughing before you knew it.

The oldest son of Wilfred and Pauline (Little) Duprey, Paul grew up in Montpelier where he attended St. Michael's Graded School where he had been known to give the sisters a run for their money, especially on days he was caught drawing 'rat finks' in the bathroom using a zippo lighter and a marker. Paul graduated from Montpelier High School in 1966.

Ultimately, Paul decided to follow in his father's footsteps and serve his country as a soldier. Paul enlisted in the Marines and after finishing boot camp at Parris Island, he was deployed to Vietnam. Paul's sharpshooting skills were unmatched, and he was placed in part of an elite corps of the Combined Action Program. He lived in the village of Thua Luu near the DMZ with a squad of marines, a navy corpsman and a small group of South Vietnam Popular Forces. They provided security for the villagers, interacted with them daily and obtained military intelligence. His shooting prowess earned him the nickname "Duke" in honor of John Wayne-as in his fellow soldiers felt good about being on duty with "Duke". On September 14, 1967, Paul was critically injured during an ambush of his team. He was evacuated and later recuperated at the Chelsea Naval Hospital. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his service, and the physical and emotional scars from that day, along with the overall experience of fighting in Vietnam never left him.

Upon returning, he married Janice Ducharme, and their family grew to include his oldest child Lisa, born in 1968.

In 1971, Paul married his second wife Kathy. Paul decided he was not finished serving his country and he enlisted in the US Army. Paul and Kathy moved around quite a bit as he would be stationed in places such as Panama, Kentucky and Georgia. They welcomed their daughter Megan in 1973 and then their son Joe in 1976. In 1980, Paul's service in the Army came to an end and the family settled in Montpelier. Paul became a US Postal Worker and could be seen every day walking his Postal Route 3 which included College and Main Streets in Montpelier. In addition to his day job, Paul was also a much-loved coach of middle school sports at Main Street Middle School. His love for baseball also led him to a very active role in the Montpelier Post 3 American Legion team.

An avid hunter and fisherman in his younger years, Paul relished being out in the woods during hunting season or out on a boat during fishing season. He especially cherished memories of trips to Averill with his good friend Bob Cutler. As his mobility decreased, his ability to do these activities decreased as well, but he enjoyed sharing stories with his nephews, children and grandchildren and encouraged them to get out into the woods or water to enjoy all that Vermont has to offer. Paul used to enjoy riding motorcycles and was recently fixing up a 1978 Corvette. He loved NASCAR, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees. Nobody loved dogs more than Paul and over the years he shared his time and space with numerous beloved pets.

Paul was dealing with a myriad of health issues in recent years including a significant hospitalization this spring. With the help of his ex-wife Kathy, he was able to go back to his home in East Orange and spend time with his dog, take car rides and eat some dinners out, which were all things he very much enjoyed.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents Wilfred and Pauline, his brothers Robert and Timothy as well as his ex-wife Janice, sister-in-law Kathy Duprey, and brother-in-law Gary Barr.

Paul is survived by his children: Lisa Ducharme of Chapel Hill, NC; Megan Klus (Jay) of Fayston, VT; and Joseph Duprey (MaryBeth) of Colchester, VT. He was beyond proud of his 9 grandchildren: Nicholas (Nancy), Michael, Kaitlyn, Conor, Collin, Casey, Amelia, James and Norah; and 3 great-grandchildren Lyla Rose, Annabell and Lumen. He also is survived by 2 sisters, Dotti Barr, Mary (Richard) Dysinger, two brothers, Michael (Chris) and David (Susan) Duprey, many cousins, nephews, three nieces, their children and 1 aunt, Joyce Cote, Morrisville, VT.

He also is survived by his former wife and friend, Kathy Duprey of Raleigh, NC.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Paul's name to:

Green Mountain Conservation Camp Endowment Fund

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department

1 National Life Drive, Davis 2

Montpelier VT 05620-3702

https://vtfishandwildlife.com/sites/fishandwildlife/files/documents/Get%20Involved/Donate/GMCCFundPrintableForm.pdf

Make checks payable to the GMCC Endowment Fund.

The family will have a private burial ceremony at the Vermont Veterans Cemetery in Randolph at 11am on November 3rd.

Afterwards, Joe and Megan would like to invite any and all friends and family of Paul to join them at the Montpelier VFW Post 792 at 2pm on November 3rd for a celebration of Paul's life. Location: 1 Pioneer Street, Montpelier, VT 0560