40-year-old tow trucker inspired hundreds, now many gathered for his remembrance (MO)

[TowNews]

 

 

WASHINGTON, Mo. – Thousands of community members and first responders from around the state gathered to remember the life of Matthew Pauk.

A motorcycle accident on June 4 claimed his life and left his wife fighting for hers. After countless acts of service, friends, and family said, remembering who he was and what he did, made Monday important.

 

“Matt was definitely one of the guys that, no matter what the situation was with customers, he was always there, no questions asked,” said Eric Korte, Pauk’s long-time friend.

More recently, Korte became aware of how driven Pauk was by his work after joining the team at Patriot Towing. It’s part of the reason tow truck drivers from around Missouri gathered to commemorate the heroic, humbling life of Pauk.

 

On Monday morning, they started the remembrance with a line of first responders and Pauk’s tow trucks leading the ceremony.

 

“Pretty crazy you can get people to show up at the drop of a hat like that,” Korte said.

 

Pauk’s wife, Jen, is still in the hospital recovering from injuries.

 

“She’s getting better day by day,” Korte said.

 

The couple raised five children and moved to Washington, Missouri, a few years ago. Pauk started his towing company Patriot Towing, located on the corner of East Fifth Street in Washington a few years back.

 

“You would think he had been doing this his whole entire life,” said Jeff Winbaugh, a long-time tow truck operator and employee at Patriot Towing. “From the time his feet hit the floor in the morning, till when he went to bed, even when he went to bed, he was wide open.”

 

Winebaugh said Pauk was involved with the community by stepping in to help community members and first responders, oftentimes helping out free of charge.

 

“Fire department, Marthasville, Washington, Union, Sullivan, I mean he was just a big supporter of them all, BackStoppers was his big thing,” he said.

 

From lending a helping hand to being a big advocate and supporter of BackStoppers, an organization that supports families who have lost first responders, Winebaugh and others said it was about Pauk and all the impressions he has made.

 

“Time goes on; he won’t be forgotten,” Korte said.

 

Red, white, and blue flowers now fill the site of Pauk’s burial at St. Ann’s Catholic Church.

 

Family and friends said that getting involved with BackStoppers or donating to help the family are ways we can continue to show support and remember Pauk.

 

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