Joel N. Paulson

Joel Nicholas Floyd Paulson, 44, passed away suddenly but peacefully at home in New Brighton, MN, on August 11, 2026. He had received a successful kidney transplant on May 12, 2026, after valiantly enduring almost two years of dialysis due to kidney damage from IgA Nephropathy (Berger’s Disease).

Joel was born on June 8, 1982, in Dubuque, IA, to Dennis Lee Paulson and Jeanette Floyd Paulson. He lived in River Falls, WI, as well as Peterson and Amboy, in southern Minnesota, before moving to Duluth in 1994 with his family. Joel graduated from Duluth East High School in 2000 and went on to study Computer Science and Mathematics at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2004.

Joel used his extensive programming skills to become a specialist in software engineering for medical devices, initially as a contractor and then as a permanent employee for Smiths Medical (later ICU Medical) in the Twin Cities, where he was eventually promoted to Principal Software Engineer. His intelligence, quick thinking, dedication and reliability were regularly recognized. Joel took his responsibilities with deep seriousness; precision and adherence to requirements were paramount to him given the critical importance his software played in the operation of these life-saving devices. Working remotely enabled Joel to continue his employment despite diagnosed kidney failure and at-home dialysis since 2024.

Friends and family, and especially his gaming circles in Duluth and in Utah (online) formed the heart of Joel’s life. He loved strategy games, computer and video games, role-playing games, and board games of all kinds, and found himself particularly drawn to gnomes and goblins and their personality quirks. Despite health challenges, he maintained an active schedule with his D&D group and always made time to play other games in Duluth with his friends, many of whom he had known for over 30 years since their time together in middle and high school. His friends will fondly remember the knowledge, canny wit, un-rivaled sportsmanship, and most importantly the devastating sense of humor he brought to the table.

Though reserved away from the gaming table, those who knew Joel recall that this same bright and self-deprecating wit could bring laughter to an entire room. His family and many friends also knew they could count on him whenever he was needed. Extremely loyal, conscientious, and reliable, he was the type of guy who was always there, until the day he died. For these and countless other reasons, his loss leaves an unfathomable gap in the lives of so many people.

With his mother he shared a love of crosswords, word games, puzzles, and plants; with his father he shared a passion for baseball, a tolerance of the Minnesota Vikings, and a deep interest in American history and political science; with his sister he shared a broad and idiosyncratic taste in music, movies, coffee-making techniques, and humor generally. Joel loved to read and took care of his houseplants the way some people take care of their house pets. He had a special connection to cats, who were drawn to him in the particular way that cats recognize kindred spirits. Joel played trumpet in high school and college, and his love of music, drawn from a virtually endless playlist that he carried with him both in his head and on various devices over the years, extended from Mahler to Miles Davis to Meute.

Joel follows those who have gone before: his paternal grandfather Charles “Chuck” Paulson, his paternal grandparents Mildred “Millie” and K. C. Lowe, his maternal grandparents Marion and Olivia “Pat” Floyd, and his maternal aunt Ruth Rolf.

Family and friends who mourn his loss deeply are his father Dennis Paulson, mother Jeanette Paulson, sister Noelle Paulson (with Andreas Vitalis) and nephew Pavel Vitalis, his cousins Shannon Rolf and daughter Kalia Guzman and Nathanial Rolf and son Elijah Rolf, his aunt Linda Paulson, and many close friends including Andrew Grace and Kara Barnette, Spencer Miller, Tom Witt, and Ehren Bittner.

The family wishes to thank the entire team at Fairview U of M Transplant Clinic, and especially Jess Poucher, RN, Dr. Mario Funes-Hernandez, Dr. Timothy Pruett, and Dr. Daniel Keys, as well as the anonymous kidney donor and their friends and family.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, August 29th at 2:00 pm with a Visitation starting at 1:00 pm at First Lutheran Church, 1100 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to The National Kidney Foundation, Gustavus Adolphus College, Gamers’ Outreach, or a worthy organization of your choice in Joel’s memory.