COLUMBIA, SC—Paul E. Kimball, 87, retired Navy commander and defense consultant, died on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, S.C.
Paul was born in Chicago and graduated from Lake View High School and Wabash College. He attended Navy OCS and then served aboard the destroyer USS Heerman. He was selected for the submarine service and subsequently served aboard USS Diodon, USS Baya, USS Medregal, and the FBM submarine USS Daniel Webster.
Shore duties included instructing at the Submarine School and evaluating crew performance in the operation of the Polaris, Poseidon and Trident missile systems at Cape Canaveral. He represented the U.S. Navy in London, England, on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, and later as liaison officer to the Royal Navy Polaris Missile Program.
Following his retirement from the Navy in 1978, he was a consultant to various defense contractors in Washington in the areas of undersea warfare and undersea vehicles. From 1987 until 1992 he was a manager with General Dynamics Undersea Warfare Center in Arlington.
After his second retirement, he moved to Reedville. He joined the Chesapeake Chorale and the Bay Tones barbershop music group. He performed in a number of musical plays for the Center for the Arts and Lancaster Players. He also became a website administrator for local arts and musical organizations and a number of small businesses.
He is survived by his wife, Jane, of Columbia, S.C.; daughters, Paige K. Long, Lynne Sepple of Alexandria, Victoria Jones of Washington, D.C., Caroline Chesbro of Missoula, Mont., and Rosie Linder Jones of Columbia; 11 grandchildren, Devon Swartz, Whitney Kimball Long, Chris Long, Jerey Long, Maddie Alberse Jones, Nick Sepple, Zoe and Grace Linder, Drew and Henry Chesbro, and Beatrice Linder; and three great-grandchildren.
Paul will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
