Paul Gordon Willhite, age 64, of Port Aransas, Texas and Buena Vista, Colorado passed away unexpectedly on September 1, 2026.
Paul was born in Dover, Delaware on October 1, 1961 to Russel Bain and Patricia Ann Willhite.
His father was in the service, so his family moved around in his youth until they settled in Kokomo, Indiana. After high school he attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. In 1985 Paul graduated with a Masters degree in Engineering. After graduating, Paul began work for McDonnell Douglas Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri.
He began his career working on fighter jets utilizing his expertise in computational fluid dynamics for development of new engine technologies. He was granted two patents for this work. Later, after McDonnell Douglas and Boeing merged, he transitioned into Information Technology engineering work. He left Boeing to pursue additional career opportunities at Raytheon in Garland, Texas. He eventually left hands-on engineering to become a dedicated hiring manager, making sure Raytheon was able to recruit the best engineers for their needs. He retired from Raytheon in 2021.
Paul married Christine Rieger on October 23, 1993 in St. Louis, Missouri. Together they moved to Rowlett, Texas to pursue career opportunities and lived there until retirement. In 2021, they moved to Port Aransas, Texas.
Paul was an avid sports fan. He loved all sports and if you ever had a question about teams or players, he would be happy to share his knowledge with you. His favorite sports team was the St. Louis Cardinals, which he cheered for since he was a child. His love of animals was unmatched and had a soft spot for all of them. He cherished his time which each dog they owned – Shelby, Brittany, Sandy, Bailey, and now Sadie Mae.
Paul also enjoyed the outdoors, especially the beach and the mountains. His time was spent between the beach in Port Aransas in the winter and the mountains of Buena Vista in the summer. The past few summers Paul and Christine spent touring the National Parks and sites around the United States in their motorhome. He always said travelling in the RV was perfect because you could see so much and that every small town had something they were proud of.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Christine; his brother, Mark (Kim) Willhite and two nephews, Tyler and Eric.
Services for Paul Willhite are pending and will be announced at a later date.
The family asks that donations be made directly in Paul’s name to the Humane Society of Missouri. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Paul Gordon Willhite, please visit: Tree Store.
