Paul William, III Rough

1965-2013

Paul William Rough, Ill, was born in Sanford, Florida, on May 3, 1965, to Alice and Paul W. Rough, Jr. After his birth, the family moved to Naples, Italy, when his father was reassigned in the U.S. Navy.

His love of travel and adventure was awakened by frequent family travels throughout Europe.

His education began in Virginia Beach, VA, and was completed in Oak Harbor, which has become the family’s permanent home. Paul (Bill, to his family, friends, and class mates) learned to ski at Stevens Pass through winter Ski-school bus trips organized by his high school. Other skiing trips to various locations in Washington, California, Canada, and even Europe, honed his skills to the expert level. During his high school years in Oak Harbor, he earned varsity letters in track, basketball, and football. His basketball team finished fourth in the Washington state basketball tournament, and his football team reached post-season play for the first time in recent memory.

Paul loved all outdoor activities the great Pacific Northwest had to offer, especially the family vacation property on Lake Walker, in the foothills behind Enumclaw. Paul loved to invite his friends to “the cabin” for fishing, swimming, relaxing, and just plain fun. In addition to skiing, in milder weather, he shifted his outdoor activities to frequent fishing, hunting, camping, and hiking trips throughout the area. After high school, he completed modeling and finishing school at Opus-1 Studios in Seattle, where he was employed as an advertising, runway, and photography model. For several seasons, he appeared in Nordstrom, Jeep automobile, Ben Bridges jewelry, and various other local television and newspaper ads. Visits to family in Alaska, provided excellent opportunities for fishing adventures, including hooking trophy size halibut. As a natural progression of his love of the water, travel and adventure, he was employed as the First Mate on a very large private yacht, home ported in Laguna Beach, California. It frequently cruised from southern California to rugged Alaskan waters, and many points beyond. Because of his sport fishing skills and knowledge, he was designated the activities coordinator, providing guests with limitless opportunities to catch fresh seafood of local fish, crab, clam, and mussel. Cruising became his passion and more than 50 ocean cruises later, on both the private yacht and commercial cruise liners, he had seen most of the world by ship. After living in Hawaii and Laguna Beach, he moved to Palm Springs, California, nearly 20 years ago. In recent years, he was part owner of a Bartending School, and the manager of a popular after-hours night club and dance hall, both in downtown Palm Springs. Paul died on April10, 2013, in Palm Springs, after a very short battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his mother, Alice, and is survived by his father, Paul Rough, Jr., his loving sister, Clara Perry, his partner, Raleigh Hanbury, and extended family in both Seattle and Fairbanks, Alaska.

A memorial service/celebration of life will be held in the Rocky Point picnic area club house, adjacent to the U.S. Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, on Friday, June 7, 2013, from 5 to 7 PM. (From highway 20, turn towards the base at the A-6E/EA-6B aircraft display, continue on directly past the CPO Club, ultimately turning right into the Rocky Point picnic area.) In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his honor to the cancer foundation of your choice.