Paul Raymond Gurtler

Paul Raymond Gurtler, age 62, of Wisconsin Rapids, passed away on March 14, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on September 17, 1963, in Wisconsin Rapids to Dr. Charles and Sharon (McNamee) Gurtler, Paul was a proud member of Lincoln High School’s 1980 State Runner-Up Football team. He met his wife, Michelle (Woodford), while attending UW-Eau Claire, and they married in 1989 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Chippewa Falls. Paul earned his law degree from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was selected for the Law Review and published in the Hamline Law School Journal. A licensed attorney for 37 years and member of the Wisconsin Bar Association, he began in private practice, later became corporate counsel, and ultimately specialized in attorney malpractice insurance. Together with Michelle, he founded the successful company ProRisk Underwriters, LTD. Yet Paul’s greatest pride remained his two children, Victoria and Phillip, both graduates of the United States Coast Guard Academy and commissioned officers in the U.S. Coast Guard.

A historian by nature, Paul cherished his German heritage. He found deep joy at his vineyard in Jackson County, where he savored sunsets, hunted with friends and family, farmed, and shared a quiet life with Michelle in their personal sanctuary. An accomplished self-taught drummer, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by performing onstage with his favorite band, Uriah Heep. Devoted to his faith, he was a Fourth Degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus and an officer in the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks.

Paul is survived by his wife, Michelle; his children, Victoria Gurtler of London, UK, and LT Phillip Gurtler, USCG, of Cleveland, OH; and his siblings, The Hon. Judge Charles (Jamie) Gurtler, Jr., of Bull Head City, AZ, Melanie (Dr. Thomas) Gauthier of Oshkosh, WI, and Kerry (Rick) Ninneman of Denver, CO. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.