Paul Donald MessersmithMarch 16, 1939 - Jan. 25, 2010"Goodbyes are not forever, goodbyes are not the end.  They simply mean we'll miss you until we meet again...."Paul Donald Messersmith, 70, died Monday at his home in Millersburg following a courageous fight against lung cancer.   Paul was born in Berwick, Pa., the son of Dorothy Gladys (Eyer) Messersmith and the late Paul Dawson Messersmith.  He married the former Mary Susan Hileman on June 25, 1966, in Bloomsburg, Pa. Paul graduated from Berwick High School in 1957 and spent the next four years working in a variety of jobs, mostly in the Rochester, N.Y., and Berwick, Pa., areas.  Following the advice of a supervisor, he enrolled in college in 1961.  He attended Bloomsburg State Teachers College (now Bloomsburg University), Bloomsburg, Pa.; and Marshall University, Huntington, W.Va., where he received his bachelor and master degrees.  He taught geography at Concord College, Athens, W.Va., and Marshall University before moving his family to Oregon in 1970.  He received his Oregon teaching certificate through OCE (now Western Oregon University) in 1973.  He spent the next twenty-five years working in the education field, except for a one year span when he was self employed.  He was employed by Myrtle Point School District in Coos County, Sweet Home School District, Evergreen School District, Vancouver, Wash., Linn Benton ESD (now Linn Benton Lincoln ESD), and Corvallis School District from which he retired in 1998 as head of their district wide library automation system. From the time he was a young boy Paul was a fisherman.  He spent many happy hours fishing the rivers and lakes in Pennsylvania and Oregon.  He and his friend, Ken especially enjoyed fishing and crabbing in the Alsea River and Bay.Paul was an avid gardener and an excellent cook.  Over a 25-year period he rescued three cats and adopted four others, all of whom became his buddies, keeping him company as he worked in his garden. For the past several years he had a great time with recreational gold prospecting.  He often said it was "a kick in the pants" and wished he'd discovered it 20 years earlier.  He was active in the Willamette Valley Miners organization and served as its president at one time. Paul was preceded in death by his father on Nov. 26, 1973; and brother-in-law Donald Martz, on Aug. 1, 1994. In addition to his wife and mother, he is survived by his daughter, Joan Marie Davis and her husband James of Milwaukie; granddaughter Shyanna Marie Davis; great-grandson Carter Davis-Lockhart born Sept. 29, 2009, both of Madison, Miss.; sister Nancy Lee Martz and niece Melodee Yoder, both of Bloomsburg, Pa.; grand nephew Michael Yoder of Hatboro, Pa.; grandnieces Heather Vassallo of Breinigsville, Pa., and Allison Yoder of Annapolis, Md.; aunt Betty Berneski of Melbourne, Fla.; and uncle Carl Eyer of Berwick.At Paul's request no services will be held.  Burial will be in Elan Memorial Park, Bloomsburg, Pa., with a private family gathering to be held there in the spring.  Friends are welcome to drop by his home between 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday. In honor of Paul's love and compassion for animals, he asked that any donations in his memory be made to Safehaven Humane Society, P. O. Box 2018, Albany, OR 97321.AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling arrangements.  For those wishing, online condolences may be left at www.aasum-dufour.com