Nathan Eugene Paulos Jr., 79, of Bloomfield, Iowa, passed away at 5:40 p.m. on February 3, 2026, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Nathan was born December 10, 1946, in Michigan to Nathan E. Paulos Sr. and Maxine Donahoo Paulos. He married the love of his life, Dixie Lee Lawson, on November 4, 1972 and she preceded him in death on April 23, 2024.
Nathan graduated from Ottumwa High School in 1966 and proudly served his country in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He built a life grounded in hard work, entrepreneurship, and dedication to his community. Over the years, he worked at John Morrell & Co., owned and operated Mary’s Midway Restaurants in Floris and Bloomfield, and ran several concessions stands and food trucks. His cooking was widely loved, and his tenderloins were famous.
Nathan later retired from Ottumwa Water Works after more than 20 years of dedicated service. Retirement, however, did not slow him down. He continued to work tirelessly in the restaurant and food service business for many years, sharing his passion for cooking and his love of serving others.
Nathan attended Christ’s Church and was a past Mason at Kirkville IA Masonic Lodge #442.
He found joy in cooking with family, farming, gardening, working on cars, and traveling. He especially enjoyed spending time at the junkyard with his brothers. Nathan was always on the move and happiest when surrounded by those he loved. He was a devoted husband and proud father who continually supported his daughter’s ambition to develop innovative medicines to fight cancer.
Nathan is survived by his daughter, Chrystal Paulos and her husband, Richard Himes, of Atlanta, Georgia; his sister, Naomi (Tim) Clark of Agency; his brothers, Jerry Paulos Sr. of Eddyville and Harry “Dube” Paulos of Ottumwa; many nieces and nephews; and his loyal dog, Sadie.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife, Dixie; his brother, Ed Paulos; and his sister-in-law, Kim Paulos.
Visitation will be open after 10 a.m. Friday February 6th at Reece Funeral Home with his family present to greet friends from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday February 7th at Reece Funeral Home. Burial will be in Shaul Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted by Walter B. Schafer Post #775 Veterans of Foreign Wars and O.B. Nelson Post #3 American Legion.
Memorials may be made to Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
Nathan will be remembered for his strong work ethic, generous spirit, love of family, and his ability to bring people together around food, laughter, and shared memories.
