Golden Valley, MN - It is with profound sadness that I let you know my soulmate of 45 years, travel companion, Renaissance Man, my husband, Paul Druckman, succumbed to the return of his pancreatic cancer on January 6, 2026. After a round of debilitating chemotherapy, he decided on Christmas Eve to stop all treatments to start Hospice care at home.

Paul was born in Brooklyn, NY on April 6, 1952. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School, New York City, a school that accepts only 800 out of 30,000 applicants each year with the highest SAT scores. The school specializes in developing talent in math, science, and technology but it also instills the intellectual, moral, and humanistic values necessary for each graduate to achieve their maximum potential as a caring citizen of the world. That was my Paul to a "T".

After graduating from Brooklyn College, he went on to excel in whatever career moves he made. He was a pioneer in computer graphics and a founding member of the National Computer Graphics Association. As an IBM executive consultant, he developed their early graphics and mobile computing programs and launched the introduction of IBM's PC based software. He worked with the Minnesota Humanities Commission and Afton Historical Society Press promoting regional authors. Retained by one of the three owners of Cargill to help incubate his investments in not-for-profit philanthropy resulted in Paul co-producing 2 Emmy Award winning documentaries (Death of the Dream: Farmhouses in the Heartland and Seth Eastman: Painting the Dakota with each documentary scheduled for national PBS broadcasting. He arranged for a major curated show at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

After the 911 terrorist attacks, he was Boeing's Director of Integrated Logistics leading the deployment/maintenance of explosives detection equipment at America's 429 airports. Working with the Department of Homeland Security, he developed airport screening protocols for TSA agents. He led the program that designed the new perimeter detection systems at 4-NYC airports. Paul led the industry segment for the FAA's Next Generation Aviation Transportation System responsible for future airport, airplane, and airspace security. He worked on border security initiatives with Raytheon and ultimately retired as Vice President of Homeland Security at Accenture.

Life can't be all work and no play therefore, he took my travel destination ideas and made all the plans for our travels including researching venues he thought I would enjoy. I was so fortunate to have found him for my second marriage!

Eventually, our combined ashes will be buried at Crystal Lake Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN with some scattered in our beautiful flower gardens and in Paris, FR our most favorite city in the world. At his request, there will be no funeral service. I will host a celebration of Paul's extraordinary life this summer when our gardens are full of the flowers he loved! Date and time to be provided later.

And finally, if you've ever wondered if a semi-conscious person hears a loved one's voice, I can attest that they do. For 4 days prior to his passing Paul was non-responsive with his eyes closed until the last day when I leaned close to him to say I was there with him, that I loved him and hoped my face would be the last he sees before departing his life on Earth. At that precise moment, he opened his eyes, looked into mine, mustered up what strength he could and smiled at me before his last breath and then he was gone. Throughout our life he gave me many gifts, sometimes for no particular reason at all. With his last breath, he gave me the most precious gift of all...he saw me and smiled...that image will be etched in my mind forever!

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Natalie and Samuel Druckman, and his brother, Robert Druckman. He is survived by me, his wife, Jean Hardginski, grandchildren, Keira, Grace, and Luke Druckman, and many cousins and dear friends around the world.