Paul Edward Tucker, 78, of Owings passed away November 3, 2022 at his home surrounded by family. Paul was born on August 23, 1944 in Washington, D.C. to Joseph and Pauline Tucker.  From an early age, his mother ensured that each and every Christmas, he received a book, which instilled in him the love and joy of reading, which became a lifelong passion.  He would often take his books to the woods, where he found solace in the peacefulness and serenity of nature.  This tradition fostered his fondness of the outdoors and led to his love of hunting, fishing, bird watching and countless trips to scuba dive in the Florida Keys.  He was an active member of Ducks Unlimited and he was often engrossed in whatever show was on the Outdoor Channel.

He considered himself a fortunate man to have been blessed with two sons, John and Joe, to whom he was able to pass along his love of the outdoors.  The three took bike trips along the C&O Canal together and made memories while camping and fishing.  He took great pride in ensuring that his sons were provided with an excellent education so they were afforded the opportunity to accomplish anything in life.

He joined the Prince George’s County Police Department in 1966 and was a founding member of the Emergency Services Team.  Tragically, he was paralyzed in 1985 while executing a search warrant and was medically retired a short time later, after serving 19 1/2 years as a sworn police officer and rising to the rank of Sergeant.  After his retirement, he did not allow his injury to deter his service and devotion to the Police Department, as he continued to depart his knowledge and love of shooting while serving as a civilian at the firearms range for 18 additional years, eventually being named the Director of Firearms Training. Countless officers benefited from his knowledge, skills and abilities and undoubtedly, the training he imparted on those officers saved countless lives over the years.

Paul married his “best girl,” Ann, on May 27, 1995 and the two eventually retired and built a beautiful home in Calvert County.  Their love was a pure, simple, beautiful one and they considered each other soul mates.  Their devotion to each other was inspirational and will live on forever in the hearts of their families and friends.  Paul was a religious man, who read the Bible from cover to cover several times and he and Ann were long time members of the Methodist Church.  Over the past several years, Paul took utmost pleasure in peaceful, quiet family time and the simple things in life.  He cherished his time with Ann, but a phone call or visit from his family overjoyed him.  He was loved and cherished by many, most of all his family.

Paul is survived by his wife Ann Tucker, sons John Tucker and wife Courtney of Madison, MS and Joe Tucker and wife Terri of Godfrey, IL, step son Tony Mills and wife Katie of Hughesville and a step daughter Lynn Gregg and husband Jim of North Port, FL. He is also survived by grandchildren Jack, Drew, Nick, Kennedy, Kaine, Michael, Shelby, Ryan and Nathan, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Dickie, Butch and Jimmy Tucker.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), Wounded Warrior Project, or the charity of your choice, to honor the selfless sacrifice and giving nature of Paul.