Paul F. Hand

Paul was a kind, generous man who treated others well and generally thought well of them. He had a superior intellect, broad interests, and widely varied talents. An accomplished piano player, he loved classical music and popular music from the '20s and '30s. In college, he played in a dance band, the "Tiger Towners." He was caught alone once playing "Tiger Rag" on the campus chapel pipe organ. He wrote and orchestrated "The Pioneer: A Centennial March," approved as an official march by the North Dakota Centennial Commission in 1988, and several piano compositions. Paul taught meteorology in the Navy and marveled at North Dakota skies, photographing scenes with ominous clouds. He was interested in courthouse architecture; after moving to North Dakota, he visited and photographed each county's courthouse. Paul was self-taught as an electrician and his work always passed inspections. Paul Frederick Hand was born in Ridgewood, N.J., on July 2, 1913 and raised there. The only child of J.A. Stanley Hand and Margaret Greff Hand, he was close to his grandfather, Frederick Hand, a textile designer who emigrated from England in 1880. Frederick and Paul spent a year visiting English cathedrals before Paul started college. Paul graduated in chemistry in 1935 from Princeton University and received a Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1938. He worked in New York City until joining the U.S. Naval Reserve as an officer in 1942. He was stationed at Martha's Vineyard, Mass., the home of his future wife, Nancy Walker. Then, Paul was assigned to Amphibious Group Six, with the Seventh Fleet in the Pacific. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. When the War ended, Paul worked at General Aniline & Film (GAF) Corporation in international sales. He was Director of Overseas Sales, Assistant to the President, Assistant to the Chairman of the Board and Director of Long Range Planning. Paul and Nancy Walker married in 1946. They raised four children in Pound Ridge, N.Y. In 1962, Paul left the New York business world to start Hand Brands, Inc., manufacturing soups and cheesecakes in Ridgefield, Conn. He and Nancy later acquired Rose Mill, a gourmet food and cookware business, and ran it together for many years. After a divorce and sale of the business, Paul moved in 1986 to Grand Forks. He became acquainted with many local residents through work for the U.S. Census Bureau. He loved the Grand Forks community, and found it warm and welcoming. Upon returning from his 70th class reunion at Princeton, he moved to St. Anne's Guest Home in 2005. Following an illness in 2008, he moved to Villa St. Vincent in Crookston, Minn., where he died on Wednesday, June 15, at the age of 97. Family: Paul is survived by his three sons and their spouses: Michael and Karen Hand of Chestnut Hill, Mass., James and Gail Stewart Hand of Grand Forks, N.D., Gregory Hand and Nancy Schreiber of Princeton, N.J.; and daughter Judith Hand of Daytona Beach, Fla. He is also survived by eight grandchildren: Michael Hand, Jr.; Graham Hand; Jordan Hand; Alison Hand; Emily Cashwell; Matthew Hand; Peter Hand; and Jared Hand.