Paul Jerome Lakers

Paul Jerome Lakers was born on May 29, 1964 in Des Moines, Iowa to Ruth and Joseph Lakers.  He died July 16, 2023 at Unity Point Taylor House. He attended St. Anthony grade school for  1st - 7th grade, The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey on a Des Moines Register Scholarship for 7th - 10th grade, and graduated in 1982 from Dowling Catholic High School.  Paul attended 1 year at University of Iowa and then moved  to Tucson, Arizona.  He earned his bachelor degree from the University of Arizona in 1995.

Most of Paul’s working career was spent managing many restaurants all over the country to even being an owner of the now closed Bamboo Club in Tucson, Arizona. Paul eventually moved back to Des Moines where he began a new career working for Ecosure and enjoyed traveling around the state of Iowa and part of Nebraska.

Paul was a fantastic cook and enjoyed sharing his creations with his family and friends. He loved the gatherings where he could smoke meat and share a meal.  He also enjoyed traveling around to different NASCAR tracks, local tracks and baseball fields.  He even proposed to his wife Stacy while volunteering at the Daytona 500.  He loved to spend his Sunday’s playing Scrabble with his parents and wife Stacy. He always had to be the score keeper and loved the challenges of the game.

Paul is survived by his wife Stacy, his children from his first marriage:  Frances (Carson) Howard, William (Danielle) Lakers, and Thomas Griffin Lakers, his step-children (who he saw as his own)  Rochelle Williams and RaShawn Wiliams, his parents, Joe and Ruth Lakers, his in-laws, Larry and Karan Nieland, his siblings: Anna (Ken) Kieliszewski,  Ray Lakers, and sister-in-law Corina Lakers; brother-in-law, Anthony Nieland, and sisters-in-law, Janet Nieland,  Allison (Glenn) Lunk. Paul was loved by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, cousins, both on his side of the family and Stacy’s. Paul saw many as family and was grateful for their presence in his life.

Paul is preceded in death by his brother  Peter  Lakers, nephew Joey Lakers, brother-in-law Aaron Nieland, and niece Jeannette Lakers Bear.

Visitation will be held from 9:00am - 9:45am Friday, July 28,2023  at St. Ambrose Cathedral followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10:00 AM .In lieu of flowers, please send donations  to Saint Ambrose Cathedral  in Des Moines, Iowa or a charity of your choice. All are welcome to the luncheon immediately following his funeral Mass.