A Son's Tribute to His Father

Paul Burleson died May 5, 2024, and entered the Land of the Living.

William Paul Burleson is holding a photo of his father, William Reed Burleson.

I married Rachelle on August 6, 1983; my father didn’t officiate the service.

He was my best man.

But that’s not unusual. William Paul Burleson (b. July 19, 1940 - d. May 5, 2024) was everybody’s best man.

William Paul Young, author of The Shack, sent me this text earlier today:

The first time I met William Paul Burleson, I knew I was safe with this man. Not only because we share the same first and middle names but because of the warmth of his smile, the genuine, loving arm he put around my shoulder, and a presence that whispered, “I’ve got you!”

He made me feel that in his world, I was the only one who mattered.

Good night, brother; I will see you in the morning.

Paul Young feels the way everybody who knew Paul Burleson feels today.

My dad had a magnetism that drew people to him. He was approachable by all but had a particular affinity for the down-and-out, the wounded and broken, those that the world of riches,…