Paul Leon Schmolke, known to many as Smokey, a resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed peacefully on December 9, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was surrounded by loved ones and had just celebrated his 80th birthday.

Paul was born on November 27, 1945 at Arkansas Baptist Hospital in Little Rock, to Mildred Y. Hammack-Schmolke and Merton F. Schmolke. Both parents were Oklahoma natives living in Little Rock and were married in 1943. Mildred worked as a music store clerk at Moses Melody, and Merton was a musician and soldier stationed at nearby Fort Roots. Merton passed in 1986, and Mildred in 2019.

Paul grew up between Little Rock and Oklahoma City, sharing the experiences common to many of his generation, while forging friendships that lasted a lifetime. Among them was Richard Plant, his closest friend for 75 years-more family than friend. Paul also met Lynne Bennett during his high school years, beginning a love story that shaped the rest of his life.

Paul married Lynne Ellen Bennett in February 1967. They shared 53 devoted years together. In 1974, Paul and Lynne moved from St. Louis to New Mexico, where they found a home that truly fit them. Lynne passed in March 2020.

Paul attended school in Little Rock, Arkansas, and University City, Missouri, graduating from Little Rock Central High School in 1963. Education was a lifelong pursuit for him. Over the years, he studied at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the Kansas City Art Institute, Little Rock University, the University of New Mexico, St. Louis Community College, Central New Mexico College, and later Santa Fe Community College.

In 1976, encouraged by his father's gentle but persistent urging, Paul became a licensed Amateur Radio Operator. Operating under the call sign KE5TJ, he remained active for the rest of his life. Ham radio was more than a hobby-it was a way of connecting, listening, and participating in a larger world.

Professionally, Paul lived many lives. He worked as a graphic artist and photographer, then as a civil engineering technician and surveyor, followed by time as an R&D technician. In 1990, he took up real estate appraisal, a role that suited his analytical mind and attention to detail. He retired in 2007 to focus fully on family caregiving-first for his mother as she faced dementia, and later for Lynne as she endured a long and debilitating neurological illness that began in 2010.

Paul's interests were broad and deep. He was a true polymath-always learning, always curious. He could explain the inner workings of a camera, radio, or engine with equal ease, and had passions for pottery, firearms, pipe making, and the finer distinctions of Tabasco sauce. Music mattered profoundly to him, whether old-school rock and roll or classical. He loved driving and collecting cars and motorcycles, appreciating them as engineering, art, and freedom combined.

Late in life, Paul wrote a book about his experiences-a collection of stories that treated the extraordinary and the everyday with equal respect. It reflected the way he lived: attentive, thoughtful, and appreciative of every chapter.

Paul will be remembered for his integrity, gratitude, stubborn resilience, and insatiable curiosity. To know him was to admire him; to be loved by him was a gift.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife of 53 years, Lynne (Bennett) Schmolke. Paul is survived by his sister, Joan (Jo) Schmolcke-Chase and nephew Jeffrey Stacey, both of Albuquerque, NM, as well as many cherished friends.

A celebration of Paul's life will be held in 2026, where family and friends will be invited to share memories, stories, and laughter in the spirit he embodied. Those who wish to be notified about the celebration are invited to send a message to: paulschmolkecelebration@googlegroups.com