Paul Lawrence Joseph was born in Beaumont, Texas, to Lemmie D. (Cuffie) Joseph and Fred R. Joseph on November 5, 1943.

He was the younger of two brothers and grew up in Baton Rouge, Jackson, and Memphis. He finished Memphis's Hamilton High School
in 1960, and in 1966 he earned a B.S. degree in Geography from Ohio's Central State University.

Paul served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968. After his time in the service, he taught school at Saint Anthony Catholic School in
Beaumont, Texas. In 1970, he met the love of his life, Betty A. Gray, and they were married in 1971. From this union came two children, Damon
and Brandi. Paul later was the Emergency Employment Coordinator for Jefferson County and years later worked for IBM, Xerox Corporation, and
the Texas Employment Commission.  In 1984, Paul made Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior, and his life was never the same. He served God with zeal and gusto. He moved the family to Washington state in 1987, and in the 1990s he and Betty were licensed to minister by the John G. Lake Organization. The family later moved back to Beaumont, then to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Paul did evangelistic work everywhere he went, and to be honest about it, there are not many people who ever met Paul who were not touched in some way by his love for his
Lord.

He is preceded in death by his parents Fred R. Joseph and Lemmie D. Joseph. He leaves behind Betty, his wife of 49 years; son Damon, daughter-in law Rahzheena, grandson Nicholas; daughter Brandi; brother Freddie, sister-in-law Jaqueline; niece Mildred, her husband Terry; niece Lana, her husband Nhân, great-nephew Noah; and a host of first, second, and third cousins, in-laws, and friends.

Memorial Services for the Family will be private.