Paul Rasmussen

November 12, 1930 - February 18, 2022

Paul Edward Rasmussen, 91, construction ironworker, children’s advocate, and grassroots activist died at home in Foster City, CA from cancer on February 18, 2022. Paul was surrounded by family and the music he loved.

Paul was born in San Francisco, CA on November 12, 1930, and was one of eight children born to hard working immigrant parents from Denmark. Paul began working as a construction ironworker when he was age 18 and graduated from Lowell High School in 1948.

Paul was not expected to live past the age of 44 and was turned away by the military due to heart complications resulting from near-fatal episodes of rheumatic fever at age 8 and age 20. On weeknights and weekends, Paul volunteered for local political campaigns in his hometown of San Francisco. When Paul wasn’t building skyscrapers or volunteering, he spent his time sports fishing off the California coast, snow skiing, ice skating and collecting history books.

Paul met his future wife, Teresa “Terri” Naisbitt, through a friend at Sutro Baths ice skating rink in 1962. Paul and Terri became ice dance partners with The Skating Club of San Francisco and later married in 1964. In 1965, the couple purchased a house and settled in San Bruno, CA to start their family.

During the 1970’s, Paul and Terri worked with several San Bruno and Pacifica residents on a multi-year campaign that successfully stopped the extension of the Interstate 380 highway from Interstate 280 in San Bruno to the west coast in Pacifica. The planned Interstate 380 extension route included 8 to 10 traffic lanes running through Crestmoor Canyon in San Bruno, next to two public schools bordering the narrow canyon. Paul mass recruited San Bruno residents who shared his concerns about the impact of automobile and diesel truck emissions on children’s health and on the environment, to publicly voice their opposition to state agencies and to their elected representatives. After evaluating citizens’ objections to highway construction through Crestmoor Canyon during a council meeting on December 11, 1972, the San Bruno city council voted to change the zoning classification of city owned land in Crestmoor Canyon to a category that prohibited highway construction. In response to nonstop public pressure and zoning obstacles, the plan to extend Interstate 380 from San Bruno to the coast was terminated in 1976.

Paul worked on several other local efforts to ensure San Bruno remained a safe and desirable community for raising children. After Paul’s mother fractured her hip and was diagnosed with cancer, Paul retired from ironwork in 1993 to coordinate his mother’s medical treatment and to care for her at home.

Paul was a servant of God who believed his most important work in life was being a good dad. Paul was known for his willingness to help friends and strangers, his hilarious sense of humor, warm smile, and his mischievous grin.

Paul is preceded in death by his parents John and Valborg; his siblings, Martina, Sally, Marie, Andrew, Raymond, John and Gloria; and by the mother of his children, Terri. Paul is survived by his three daughters, Valaire, Heather and Dawn, and by generations of family, friends and neighbors. Friends and family will be meeting on Sunday March 19, 2023 at 1pm in Belmont, CA for a celebration of life luncheon. Please contact Valaire at celebrationoflifeluncheon@gmail.com if you knew Paul and would like to attend. Donations are encouraged to be made in Paul’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project.