Obituary for Arthur "Artie" James Paar

Shortly after he was born, Artie Paar began reading the sports section of the newspaper. A few years later he learned to talk, and then quickly thereafter, to argue. Artie excelled at nearly everything he tried, save for NCAA basketball pools (which was the only losing endeavor that brought him joy).

Artie was an exceptional student and athlete, attaining a perfect GPA through college while besting countless opponents on the tennis court, both in high school and in college. His athleticism continued into his thirties and forties, wherein he ran upwards of 30 marathons, his favorite of which was Grandma's marathon in Duluth, MN. It was fitting that his last act was running, as he ultimately died doing what he loved. Artie accepted life as a challenge, and those around him as willing teammates and adversaries. To him life was a competition to be battled and ultimately defeated, with a beer waiting at the end for both friends and foes. The only explanation for the brevity of his life is that he lived many lifetimes all at once and ultimately won the battle.

Artie was supposed to outlive us. He was supposed to write our obituaries with the wit, fervor, and generosity that only he was known for. He was supposed to have the last word. Artie is survived by his wife Danielle, daughter Izzy, son Nate, in addition to his mother Peggy, father Ron, his stepmother Rosemary, brothers Chris and Ben, and sister Elizabeth. There are an immeasurable amount of people that wish he was still here, that wish they could see him or call him or text him, that wish he would respond with a Cheers quote or some arcane sports reference. He married up, was in the process of raising two beautiful and talented children, relished in philosophy, and provided everyone he came across with fodder for an anecdote. Artie was one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable, and we miss him terribly.

Mass of Christian Burial, WEDNESDAY, 4/10, 10:30AM, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 9100 93rd Ave N., Brooklyn Park. Visitation TUESDAY, 4/9, 4-7PM with a sharing of memories service at 6pm, Evans-Nordby Funeral Home, 34 2nd St NE, Osseo and 1 hr prior to service at church.

In memory of Artie memorial's preferred to https://www.gofundme.com/pledgeforreg