Dr. Paul Coulombe

Dr. Paul J Coulombe, DDS

Passed away peacefully and in the presence of his loving family on May 18, 2018 at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.



His sense of humour, joie de vivre, and devotion to family and friends have made indelible impressions on many lives. Paul is survived by Charlotte, his beloved wife of 57 years, sons Marc(Michelle), Paul(Christine Wilby) and James(Alison) and sister-in-law Charmaine Caron, and grandchildren Nicholas, Luc, Mira, Elise, Mary and Vivianne. He is predeceased by his brothers Henri and Andre.



Paul was the second eldest of 4 brothers, born in 1933 to Elise (nee Dion) and Henri Coulombe in Quebec City. He attended the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto where he met his sweetheart and future bride, Charlotte Caron of Toronto, who was in her 1st year at the U of T School of Nursing. By the time Paul graduated with a BA and DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) in 1960, their romance had flourished after 12 months of dating, and the young couple married in Sept 1961. The wedding took place with haste as Paul was being prepared for immediate deployment to Soest, Germany in Sept 1961, and now with a ring on Charlotte’s finger he journeyed across the ocean to serve as a Captain in the Army (Royal Canadian Dental Corp). His deployment there lasted a year with one Christmas furlough leave to Toronto in December 1961. Paul returned permanently from his duty in Germany in August 1962, in time for the birth of his first son, Marc, in Sept 1962. Paul served out the remaining term of his military service at the base in Clinton, Ontario.



The young family moved to Brampton in 1963 and settled nicely into life there. Their second son, Paul Jr, was born in 1964 and Paul Sr threw himself into the work of growing a private dental practice. For a time, he was Chief of Dentistry at Peel Memorial Hospital. Paul served Brampton as a dentist for 42 years and, with various partners, grew his business into one of Canada’s largest practices. He loved his work and his patients and was known for trying new and innovative ideas, including one of Canadas first CEREC machines (CAD/CAM), for which he was profiled in a dental journal, Reader’s Digest and several newspapers. Paul also expanded into orthodontics, an area that he enjoyed learning and practising.

During the mid sixties Paul and Charlotte relocated to Peel Village where Charlotte still resides. The family reached its full flower when their third son, James, was born in 1967. As their children grew, the family skied together at Valley Schuss and on many winter trips with friends, and often visited Florida. They enjoyed 42 years at their cottage near Apsley where Paul relaxed and “puttered around” in a bliss of clearing brush, building docks, wiring, shoveling gravel, mixing concrete, plumbing and finishing the cottage. Always with a project on the go, he could (and would) fix anything not just up North but at his home and, later, at his kids’ homes. Fixing, assisting, repairing and creating solutions for his kids and those around him were central to how Paul demonstrated his caring.

Love of dear friends & neighbours, his 3 sons and 6 grandchildren, lots of interesting world travel, French cuisine, reading military & history books, golf & walks in South Carolina, and relishing quiet early mornings with coffee - were all of Paul’s happy places. He especially loved fly fishing and fished in many remote locations in North America and Europe often with Charlotte and friends. As part of his fishing hobby, Paul made his own custom flies at home using specialized instruments and joined the Caledon Mountain Trout Club. He was delighted to be member there for over 25 years where he continued to fish and socialize in a more convenient pond away from home.



Known for being fun loving, light-hearted and often silly, he used humour and jokes as ways of connecting with others. His patients often appreciated his infectious laughter as did his friends. If there was a practical joke pulled anywhere, Paul was usually named as the first suspect.



But below all was his deep, constant and passionate connection to the love of his life, his cherished wife Charlotte. As a couple they enjoyed and cared for each other beyond measure. An attentive husband, Paul was truly grateful and appreciative of his companion each and every day, as all who knew them could affirm.



Paul will be dearly missed by all whose lives who were touched by his. The family asks that donations in his memory be made to the Peel Memorial Hospital, an institution for which Paul and Charlotte dedicated many decades.



Visitors will be received at Ward Funeral Chapel on 52 Main St S Brampton on Sunday, May 27th from 2-4PM and 7-9PM. A funeral service will be held at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on 44 Church Street East, Brampton on Monday, May 28th at 11AM.



Please sign the Book of Memories page to share your recollections of Paul and to read those of others.
Please visit the Video Tribute to learn more about Paul's life