Paul C. Duprat

Paul Charles Duprat, 76 years, passed away peacefully at home, Hyde Park, VT at 5:12pm on Thursday April 9, 2026. He was well loved and cared for by his daughters Nykky and Katie, and Katie's husband Matt. Paul was surrounded by his children, grandchildren, and his beloved dog Annabelle before his passing.

Paul was born on June 28, 1949 at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, VT. He was the first of three children born to Reginald Duprat and Theresa Savard Duprat, His siblings: Suzanne Duprat and Alan Duprat. They lived on North Street in Burlington, Vermont where they had many adventures growing up.

Paul married his first wife, Kathie Cheney and they had two children, Katie (Duprat) Reed and Nykky Duprat. He joined the Navy in 1969 where he served for four years. he was awarded sailor of the month in October 1970 for outstanding dedication and never missing a day of work. After completing his enlistment he also earned two BS degrees; Criminology and Law Enforcement with a minor in history and health.

Paul was a police officer in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he was honored to serve his community. He and his partner were selected to provide detail as a body guard for Mohammed Ali. Paul also received three written commendations during this time: 1. October 17, 1973 he responded to and made a successful arrest without the use of deadly force of a suspect who had fired his automatic pistol through the front and patio doors in an attempt to kill the occupants; 2. April 14, 1974 he displayed excellent judgment and alertness in response to an attempted suicide; a man locked himself in his apartment and turned on the gas. Paul knew him to be mentally unstable due to previous contact. In order to prevent the loss of life he forced himself into the apartment. He was confronted by the man who was armed with a knife and advancing on him in a threatening manner. Paul remained calm, disarmed the man, took him into custody and transported him to the Mental Ward at the county hospital; and 3. April 9, 1975 recommendation written by the Chief of Police for special promotion to City Manager.

Paul and Kathie returned to Essex, Vermont in 1978 to raise their two children; where he continued to serve his community as a police officer. On Friday afternoon May 15, 1981, two little girls were walking home through the woods after school where they were horrifically assaulted and left for dead making national headlines. One girl would survive and Paul was assigned by the Essex PD, and served as her body guard ( Paul's daughters were about the same age at this time). The horrific and devastating even changed Paul's mental health for the remaining days of his life. in 1984, Paul was disabled in the line of duty; he was run down by a teenage boy on a 4 wheeler. Paul had his gun drawn and sited on the teen boy, but could not pull the trigger, because he was "just a kid". His career came to an end in 1986.

Paul had a brief second marriage to Catherine Clark. During which time he obtained his Series 7 Certification to become a personal financial planner with IDX and was later terminated for "whistle blowing" in 1989. This began the "mad" years of his mind and life, where his sister Sue Duprat and his Aunt Dolores provided all his financial, housing, and emotional support.

In the summer of 2003 Paul showed up homeless and experiencing a complete psychiatric break. During this time, with the support of his daughters, he addressed his mental health issues and remained engaged in therapy and psychiatric care with the Counseling Services of Addison County until his 70's. He was able to stabilize, and repair many relationships with family members, buy a home and live independently. Paul enjoyed walking his dog all hours of the day, gardening, particularly growing mammoth sunflowers and spending time with family playing cards. above all else, Paul loved reading to his grandchildren while they were growing up and encouraged them to be independent, strong, creative, artistic, and express their authentic self regardless of social norms. 

Over the years many of Paul's idiosyncrasies waxed and waned. These idiosyncrasies never gave him merit when he gleaned valid insights of injustice. To the point: he was fixated on the death/murder of a young girl. He was convinced he was going to solve it, bring justice to her and her family, sell a book and be a hero. While there was merit to some of the evidence he discovered, he was never able or willing to incorporate feedback to move the case forward and accept a natural resolution. This inability to take feedback from trusted friends, allies, family, and medical professionals contributed to much of his frustration and struggle to maintain meaningful relationships.

In spite of the ups and downs of his mind, Paul Duprat loved his family sincerely and accepted each person just as they were. He enthusiastically shared stories of their accomplishments- You could hear the joy and pride in his voice during these moments. Paul could be counted on 24 hours a day to come pick you up and bring you home regardless of distance or inconvenience to himself. His door was always open to any family without doubt and without question.

Paul is predeceased by his mother and father, his brother Alan, Aunt Dolores LaFrance, and his niece Kristy Duprat.

Paul is survived by his sister, his daughters Katherine (Duprat) Reed and Nicole Duprat, his 6 grand-children; Katie's children: Fiona O'Neil, Riley O'Neil, Finn O'Neil, William Norton, Nicole's 2 children, his sister Sue and her spouse, Paul's niece Dawn Duprat and her children Nick and Matthew, and Kristy's children Ryan and Josh.

There will be a private celebration of life held on June 28, 2026 for immediate family. Please honor Paul this day and any day, by nurturing your garden, spending time with your family, sharing a meal, playing cards, or reading a book.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Counseling Service of Addison County.