COL (Ret) Eugene Paul (“E. Paul”) Semmens passed away on November 11, 2024, in Fort Payne, Alabama, at the age of 78. Born on September 4, 1946, in Long Beach, California, Paul’s journey was marked by a distinguished military and civilian career as well as a profound commitment to his faith, family and nation.
Paul graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs, CO in 1964, and went on the earn both his Bachelor’s (1968) and Master’s (1969) degrees in History from Colorado State University. In 1968, he was commissioned as an Air Defense Artillery officer in the United States Army.
During his military service, Paul was a dynamic leader who displayed tactical brilliance and generational influence as an instructor who impacted untold scores of Air Defense Artillery officers and soldiers. Highlights of his service included being an Instructor of Military History at the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO; Director of Tactics for the Air Defense Artillery School, Fort Bliss, TX; Commander of the 10th ADA (PRIMA) Brigade, Darmstadt, GE; and Commander of U.S. Army Space, Colorado Springs, CO where he was instrumental in developing the first ever Theater-level Force Protection Tactical Operations Center (FPTOC).
After retiring from the military, he continued serving his country within the defense industry as President and co-owner of PRIMA Enterprises, Inc. where he focused on training national and global missile defense forces from 1995 to 2004.In 2005, Paul co-founded Imprimis, Inc. which was responsible for developing and implementing the first training baseline for the U.S. Army’s Theater High-Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) program and subsequently trained THAAD officers and soldiers until his retirement in 2016.
Paul was a devout member of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Fort Payne, AL where he served on the Finance Council and as Guardian of the Facilities and Maintenance. A life-long Catholic, he fully embraced his faith after living his Cursillo weekend and served on both the Cursillo diocesan and regional service teams. Paul eventually found his saintly models in Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi, and devoted himself to living as a Secular Franciscan. He humbly served the Channel of Peace Fraternity in Chattanooga, TN as both the Formation Director and the Fraternity Minister.
He was an avid life-long New York Yankees and Boston Celtics fan; lover of cycling-completing the Tour de Tucson metric century; riding the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and each year, faithfully following the Tour de France; but most of all, he enjoyed spending quality time with his family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Christina, his sons, Robert, Michael, and Sean, and one grandson, Grant. He is also survived by his brother, Michael. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Clifton Paul and Mary Semmens.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 16th at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Fort Payne. He will lie in state at Our Lady of the Valley from 12 noon until the 2 p.m. hour of service. The family will also receive friends on Friday evening at Wilson Funeral Home in Fort Payne from 5 until 8 p.m. with a Rosary and Prayer service beginning at 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Channel of Peace Secular Franciscan Fraternity, Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, or the Tunnels to Towers Foundation that assists veterans. Each of these organizations is representative of Paul’s own life-long commitment to his faith, community, and nation.
Wilson Funeral Home and Crematory of Fort Payne is assisting the family with arrangements, ensuring Paul’s legacy is honored and remembered.
