Paul Wellington Stalnaker Jr., age 79, of Council Bluffs, IA, formerly of Monterey Park, CA, passed away on Saturday, March 17, 2018, at Bethany Lutheran Nursing Home in Council Bluffs, IA.  Paul was born on August 18, 1938, in Atlanta, GA, to Paul and Ella (Meadows) Stalnaker.  He was baptized in the Methodist faith as an infant and was later confirmed.  Paul was raised in California and attended college at UCLA where he received his bachelor’s degree and then continued his education to get his masters degree at CSUN Northridge.   
   Paul met the love of his life, Helen Kessler of Odebolt, at the Methodist Asbury Group and they were later united in marriage on June 20, 1964, in Monterey Park, CA.
   Paul spent many years of his life teaching.  He was a Social Studies and Spanish teacher in Thousand Oaks, CA, and then later was a guidance counselor in Newsbury Park, CA.  Once he retired from counseling, Paul and his wife opened a Coast to Coast Hardware Store.  They ran the store together for many years and then retired to Paso Robles, CA, and then later moved to Council Bluffs, IA, where they’ve been for the past five years.  Paul enjoyed working with computers.  He and Helen spent most of their lives traveling the world together.  He was an avid sports fan and especially loved NASCAR and UCLA.  Paul was a loving husband, uncle and friend and will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him.
   Survivors include his wife Helen Stalnaker of Council Bluffs, IA; sisters-in-law Sandra (Tony) Host of Council Bluffs, IA and Dorothy “Dee” Engstrom of Council Bluffs, IA;  nieces and nephews: Michael (Heidi) Engstrom,  Laura Engstrom (Dermot Ferry), Carrie (Roger) Maynard, Melanie (Jeff) Reineke and Jon (Emily) Host; other extended family members and many friends. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Walter and Maxine Kessler and sister Carol Lee Stalnaker.