CARIBOU – Paul M. Parsons, 50, passed away peacefully Monday, May 23, 2011, at his home after a lengthy illness. He was born June 21, 1960, in Detroit, Mich., son of Harold Frederick and Margaret Mary (Waldowski) Demchik.
He attended local schools in Romeo, Mich., where the family moved when he was a young child. His call for adventure led him to leave home and travel out west, where he worked as a chef in Seattle and Las Vegas. Paul attended Southern Community College in Nevada, and earned his degree in hotel/ restaurant and casino management. He was a working chef – his imagination, creativity and love of food made his style and flair one of a kind. Paul moved to “The County” in 1998 and worked as the executive chef at Eureka Hall, Stockholm. In September 2001, Paul became part of the Caribou Inn & Convention Center family, and from that time on was simply known to all as Chef Paul. His talent and tenacity elevated the Greenhouse Restaurant to an award winning dining establishment. He loved The County, loved his work and enjoyed his ability to bring new signature dishes to The County. Paul will be missed by many – he not only catered to his many frequent local dining patrons, but communities and countries abroad, through the many guests and VIPs he prepared his signature dishes for. He worked to craft his kitchen and it’s staff into one of skill, experience and style that can’t be found anywhere else. Many of Chef Paul’s team members were hired with little experience or knowledge. He worked with and taught them hands-on and taught them much of what he knew. Many of those that worked under Chef Paul have moved on and become successful in many different aspects of culinary work. In the end, even his competition had respect for his culinary dedication and technique. Paul was briefly married to Kerri Parsons, whose name he took as his own.
He is survived by his six siblings and their family, Karen Motto and her husband, David, Alan “Buddy” Demchik and his wife, Adele, Susan Sedlak and her husband, Tom, Mary Demchik and her partner, Jim French, Ann Marie Zettle, and Dale Demchik and his wife, Lisa. He also has numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents.
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Caribou Inn & Convention Center, with a reception to afterward. Arrangements by Mockler Funeral Home, Caribou.