The Markow Family Tree

Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul, 43, The Dalles, Ore. Robert J. Paul loved the outdoors so much, he came to his wedding in a pair of sport sandals. "I guess he didn't realize it was formal," joked his former mother-in-law, Arlene Domue. Paul, 43, of The Dalles, Ore., died Sept 8 in Kabul, Afghanistan, when an explosive detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., and had done a tour in Iraq to help build infrastructure. Originally from Hammond, Ind., Paul served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, 1987-89. He joined the Army Reserve in April 1997, two years after earning a master's degree in urban planning and economic development at the University of Maryland. In 1998, Paul joined the City of The Dalles Planning Department as an associate planner, and became a senior planner while working for the city. In 2001, he joined the Wasco County Planning Department "Bob loved this area so much," said Planning Director Todd Cor-nett. "He moved out here because he loved the west, he loved Oregon, and he loved the gorge. He was very much into hiking and trailrunning and Whitewater kayaking, all the outdoor experience." He is survived by his daughter, Ilena.