March 20, 1941 - June 23, 2025
Paul Joseph Gum passed peacefully on June 23, 2025, in Manteca, CA, at the age of 84, following a sudden illness. He will be greatly missed.
Paul was born on March 20, 1941, at home in Elkins, West Virginia, to Olan and Mary Gum. He had an idyllic childhood growing up on his grandparents’ 150-acre dairy farm amid the green rolling hills of beautiful West Virginia.
In 1962, Paul moved to California, where he began a long and successful career in construction. He worked on homes, commercial buildings, and apartment complexes until his retirement in 2019. Starting as a carpenter, Paul steadily advanced to become a project superintendent, general contractor, and project manager. Over the years, he helped build thousands of homes and apartments. He took great pride in his work and was deeply respected for his dedication and craftsmanship.
In 1964 he joined the National Guard. In August of 1965 He was deployed with his unit and needed special dispensation to return to Fair Oaks, CA to marry Francine Goggia as planned 60 years ago in August.
After retiring, Paul enjoyed traveling with his family to Greece, Italy, Canada, and Boston. He also took shorter trips in his motorhome and found joy in tending to his garden. He continued to enjoy ocean fishing and hunting with friends and family.
Recently, Paul discovered that one of his ancestors had participated in the American Revolution, allowing him to become a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
For the past three years, Paul and Francine regularly attended Christ Community Church in Ripon, CA. He loved Pastor David’s sermons. In Christmas of 2024, he received a new Bible, which he began reading daily and had already read about two-thirds of the way through—ahead of schedule, as was typical for him.
Paul is survived by his beloved wife Francine; daughter Marianne and her husband Louie; grandsons Louie Joseph and Nick, along with Nick’s wife Kayla; great-granddaughter Leandra; sister Mary Kay Arbogast; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Olan and Mary Gum.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Paul’s favorite organizations since the 1970s, World Vision Fund.
A Celebration of Paul’s Life will be held at Cherokee Memorial, 14165 Beckman Road, Lodi, CA, on July 10, 2025, with visitation at 9:00 a.m., followed by a service at 10:00 a.m. A more detailed obituary is available on the Cherokee Memorial website.
VISITATION
A visitation will be held from 9:00am - 10:00m on Thursday, July 10th, 2025 at the Vineyard Chapel at Cherokee Memorial Park, located at 14165 N. Beckman Rd, Lodi, CA 95240.
SERVICE
A service will be held at 10:00m on Thursday, July 10th, 2025 at the Vineyard Chapel at Cherokee Memorial Park, located at 14165 N. Beckman Rd, Lodi, CA 95240.
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Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Gum family.