Paul grew up in Provo and attended Brigham Young High School. He participated in a broad variety of activities as all good fellows tend to do. In his case, that included debate, drama, Utah Boys’ State, Youth Senate, Model UN, sports editor of the school newspaper, bassoonist for the Utah All-State High School Band, student director of the school’s pep band and local radio station reporter. He attended seminary classes for four years. In his senior year, he served as President of the Honor Society and was elected to the Office of Student body as Historian.

Paul attended Brigham Young University from 1963 to 1970. He participated in various activities and was on the debate team. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, graduating cum laude in 1970. Paul took time off during those undergraduate years to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he was stationed in Ft. Polk, LA and El Paso, TX. He was honorably discharged upon completion of his military commitment in 1970. Paul also took two years away from his undergraduate studies to serve a full-time religious mission for the LDS Church, serving in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and was ultimately appointed Assistant to the Mission President.

After BYU, Paul attended the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, on a William Wallace Wilshire Scholarship. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1973. In recent years, he served the law school on its Advancement Committee.

Following law school, he was admitted to the state bar associations of Washington and Texas. In 1973, he accepted the position of Counsel to Exxon Corporation. He served Exxon in Houston, Midland, New Orleans, Anchorage and New York City. While in Midland, Paul served as Adjunct Professor of Oil and Gas Law at the University of Texas, Permian Basin in Odessa, TX.

In 1979, Paul accepted the position of Counsel at Pogo Producing Company in Houston. During the first 12 years of his 28-year career at Pogo, he served as VP, General Counsel, Senior VP and a member of the board of directors. During the final 16 years at Pogo, Paul was Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, a career that concluded when Pogo was acquired by another oil company in November of 2007. With the acquisition of Pogo, Paul retired at age 61.

Pogo initially established a presence in the Gulf of Mexico. During Pogo’s final 16 years, Paul was instrumental in growing Pogo in many onshore basins, including the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin as well as the Gulf of Thailand. Pogo was very active in business and civic matters, and Paul served on the Board of the Executive Committee of the National Petroleum Council, National Ocean Industries Association, Domestic Petroleum Council, US Oil and Gas Association, Houston Roundtable of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and several others. Paul has been a member of the All-American Wildcatters since 2001.

Paul’s philanthropic causes varied, but notably included his two universities. He was extremely proud of his decade of service on the Board of Directors of the Greater Houston YMCA, including service as its chair for the 2007 year.

Paul cared greatly about Pogo, its brilliant and dignified board of directors, its long-time, supportive shareholders including State Farm Insurance, and its loyal and hard-working employees. He took pride in knowing the names of Pogo’s employees, and he championed each of them to the board.

Paul was close to his large family, including his sister, Julie Aidukaitis of Provo, UT, and two brothers, Ken Van Wagenen of Los Angeles, CA and Norman Van Wagenen of Mesquite, NV, all of whom survive him. Paul’s six dearly loved children include Gregory Van Wagenen of Salem, OR, Michael (Elona) Van Wagenen of Albuquerque, NM, Jennifer (Les) Hill of Keller, TX, Laura (Bryan) Walker of Pleasant Grove, UT, David (Lauren) Van Wagenen of Dallas, TX and Emily Van Wagenen of Austin, TX. He has 14 grandchildren and two great-grands. Although Paul has now passed, he remains hugely proud of them all. So sayeth Paul, and further he sayeth not.

A memorial service will be held for family and friends on September 23, 2023 in Houston. For more detailed information on the service, please email pvwmemorial@gmail.com.