Paul Post

Paul Joseph Post, first-born and only son of Ralph (deceased) and Bernice Post was born in St. Ann’s hospital in Cleveland, Ohio early in the morning of October 26, 1948. He attended Our Lady of Peace from kindergarten through grade eight, and Benediction High school from which he graduated in 1966. Paul went to Kent State University from 1966 through 1968, ultimately settling on obtaining a degree in geology. To further his expertise in that science, he transferred to Virginia Tech in 1968, graduating with a B.S. in Geology in 1970. At Virgina Tech, he met, fell in love with, and married the love of his life, Gwen (Frances Gwendolyn Page) in June 1970. Upon graduation, Paul accepted a job with Texaco, Inc. in New Orleans, LA. Paul and Gwen made the greater New Orleans area their home and embraced the area’s cultural uniqueness and especially Mardi Gras. He rose rapidly through Texaco’s geologic staff, being named Assistant District Geologist for the Lafayette District in 1973. Leaving Texaco in early 1974, Paul went to work for CNG Producing Company (LL&E). At LL&E, Paul worked various Eastern US onshore plays from the interior Mesozoic basins of East Texas, North Louisiana, Mississippi-Alabama-Florida, the Paleozoic basins of Michigan, Illinois, and throughout the Appalachian Fold and Thurst Belt before becoming Senior Staff Geologist and Exploration Supervisor for South America and the Far East. He also became the in-home-office geoscience expert and liaison with LL&E’s London office, worked closely with corporate planning and was involved in recommendations that resulted in the discovery of over 3 billion gross barrels of oil equivalent. Following the elimination of his position at LL&E, Paul worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service and its successors; the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement; until retiring from BOEM in early 2019. For the government, Paul’s primary responsibility involved resource assessment of conceptual Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic region petroleum systems and plays. Paul wrote over 50 papers and reports. He presented papers at AAPG ACE and its Eastern Section, GCSSEPM, GSA, and the Conjugate Margins Conferences of 2008 and 2018. At various times he was a member of the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM, and the New Orleans Geological Society. He was a member of the Houston Geological Society, and became an Emeritus Member of the AAPG before its merger with SPE.

Paul was principal convener and program/technical editor for three GCSSEPM international research conferences focusing respectively on salt, margins, and rifts. He was an editor for The Geological Society of London Special Publication 369, Conjugate Divergent Margins. Paul was also a co-convener, program developer and editor for the 2008 and 2018 Conjugate Divergent Margins Conferences in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He edited over 500 papers and abstracts, is an AAPG Charles H. Taylor Fellow. Paul received the GCSSEPM Distinguished Service Award in 2006.

Paul and Gwen loved, bred, raised, and showed Borzoi from the mid-1970s through the mid-1990s and are Life Members of the Borzoi Club of America. They have an extensive collection of Borzoi art.

Diagnosed as a Type II diabetic in 2012, Paul successfully controlled the disease.  A nevus was found in his left eye in 2017 by his ophthalmologist Dr. Anita Blanchard. Dr. Patrick Sean O’Sullivan became his retinologist and monitored the status of the nevus. After a little change through March of 2019, by August of 2019 it tripled in size. Dr. Dan Gombos of MD Anderson cancer Center diagnosed the growing tumor as a uveal melanoma at that time and enucleation surgery was performed. This very rare, incurable cancer metastasized to his liver where doctors at Ochsner cancer Center treated the tumors using Y-90 Radioembolization. Along with Dr. Gombos, Dr. Michael Davies of MDACC, Drs. Greg Bizette and Richard Tramel of Ochsner, their staffs, and others in those institutions were involved in his diagnosis, evaluation and treatment. Throughout his journey through cancer, Paul greatly benefitted and appreciated the friendship, support, and care of his wife Gwen; Lynn Coe, Anthony Hall, Jane and Jim Coleman, Ellie Chuparova, Joey and Angela Lamartina, Wayne Traina, Greg Reynolds, and many others. Knowing them and having that support and care made his cancer journey worth it.

Paul died of the metastasis of his uveal melanoma to his liver on April 19, 2022. His wife Gwen survives him, as does his mother Bernice, four younger sisters, and their children and grandchildren. Per his wishes Paul was cremated. His ashes are inurned in the Columbarium at St. Joseph Abbey, St. Benedict Louisiana.

In Lieu of flowers the family asks that you consider making a donation to the Northshore Humane Society.