Obituary of Paul Robert Tine'

Paul Robert Tine’, 74, of Brimson, MN, died August 19, 2020 at Essentia Health Duluth, MN with his loving wife Sherry by his side. Paul was born in Cambridge, MA to Matilda D’Orlando Tine’ and Sebastian Tine’ July 16, 1946. He graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1969 with degrees in Philosophy and English. His older brother enticed him to Minneapolis after college where Paul worked at the Guthrie Theater. He met his life-long companion, Sherry, on a return visit to Knoxville. and they headed to Minnesota in 1970. With a return to Knoxville in 1973-75, they were married, and both worked at the Knoxville Zoological Park. In 1975, they were drawn back to Brimson and an amazing life of friendships and rewarding work. They found their true home restoring an old Finnish log house on 110 acres along the Cloquet River.

Paul’s fire career started as a temporary firefighter in 1976 with the US Forest Service and was hired by the Superior National Forest in 1978. His fire career spanned 25 years, retiring in 2001 after working on the fire plan response to the 1999 blow down in the BWCAW. He continued consulting and teaching in fire management across the country for 3 more years after retirement.

Paul was a fire behavior/ecologist specialist. His fire knowledge was born on the fire ground of the Superior and out west in fire suppression. He led fire crews at home and out west. His love and curiosity of fire on the landscape and fascination with the work of Bud Heinselman, ecologist, sparked a continued desire to understand fire ecology.

Paul was an original member of the Brimson Volunteer Fire Department formed in 1984. He was Fire Chief from 2001 to 2018. Only his journey through bone marrow transplant in 2019 caused him to “retire from fire”. Paul was a gentle soul, loving all things outdoors. He was a reader and philosopher as well as a practitioner of the teachings of the Buddha.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents and oldest brother, Harold Tine’. Paul is survived by his wife, Sherry Phillips, and brother, Mike Tine’, as well as many loving family members and friends. We would like to bow in gratitude to Paul’s amazing medical teams that carried him back to healing joy every time. The loving team at Mayo Clinic, Essentia Health as well as his long time St. Luke’s family doctor walked this journey with Paul and Sherry.

A celebration of Paul’s life will be in the future when it is safe for all to gather. Suggested memorials are: Brimson Area Volunteer Fire Dept, 3127 Hwy 44, Brimson,MN 55602, The Gift of Life Transplant House, 705 2nd St. SW, Rochester, MN 55902 or Be the Match (bethematch.org). Paul would be honored by all who can donate blood, a true life giving gift.