Paul Everett Hoskins

After 101 remarkable years, Paul Everett Hoskins closed his eyes for the final time on May 24, 2026. Paul was born in Kettle Island, Kentucky on January 20, 1925, to William Hoskins, a coal miner, and Alice (Jones) Hoskins, a school teacher. He spent his childhood running barefoot through the mountains with his 6 siblings and later graduated from Bell County High School. He enlisted in the US Coast Guard in 1943 and served in World War II until 1946. He married his beloved wife, Freddie Lou Daugherty, in 1953. Paul went on to build a career at General Electric, where he eventually retired.

No matter where life took him, Straight Creek, Kentucky was always home. At every opportunity, he returned to the mountains that raised him. He never missed the Mount Laurel Festival parade, and he carried the spirit of those mountains with him everywhere he went. He always spoke of his Eastern Kentucky roots with pride.

Paul was a true simple man who was content with little and grateful for much. Learning was one of his greatest joys. It was not uncommon to see him with a “new” science or math textbook thrifted from Goodwill, preferably while sitting outside with an ice-cold Coca Cola and his feet propped up.

Paul put his sharp math skills to good use throughout retirement. He became famous among family and friends for his extreme couponing and took great joy in sharing his bargains. He also used his love of learning to tutor and encourage others as they worked toward earning their GEDs and further education. Whether sharing knowledge or resources, Paul always made sure the people he loved had what they needed.

Although he loved learning and a good deal, nothing meant more to Paul than his family. He was endlessly proud of his children, Paul David Hoskins and Deborah Lynn Miracle, and his grandchildren, Ryan Paul Miracle, Leigh Anne Miracle and Ethan David Sergio Hoskins. Being “Papaw” was a role he cherished most deeply. One of his simple pleasures was just sharing a meal with his family.

To know Paul was to know gentleness and kindness. He lived through a century of history and change, yet remained steady, laid back, generous, and kind until the very end. His life reminds us that greatness is not always loud but can be found in simplicity.

Paul leaves behind a family who adored him, stories that will be told for generations, and a legacy of goodness that cannot be measured.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, May 29, 2026, at the Arnett & Steele Funeral Home in Pineville, followed by interment at Pineville Memorial Cemetery.

Paul’s family would like to thank the staff of Thompson Hood Veterans Center for their care and compassion for him the past couple of years. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Thomson-Hood Program Fund at 100 Veterans Drive Wilmore, KY 40390.

Arnett & Steele Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Pineville is honored to serve the Hoskins Family.