CHINO - Family and colleagues remembered Deputy Paul Alexander Wilms on Friday as a man who gave more of himself than most do in two lifetimes.
The 38-year-old Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was a highly regarded training officer, dedicated to programs for troubled youth, and a strong family man, Sheriff Lee Baca said.
"Thus, we have a man who loved his work, (which was) a sign of courage, especially when the risks are so high," Baca said.
Hundreds of deputies, friends and officers from other agencies joined family members at the funeral service of Wilms that was held at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino.
The 17-year veteran accidentally shot and killed himself March 30 at an Industry sheriff's youth center. According to police, Wilms was cleaning his gun.
On Friday, colleagues described Wilms as an officer who was the standard for all officers.
Lt. Tim Murakami said a pin that deputies wear indicating honor and integrity of service as the highest virtues held by the department accurately portrayed Wilms.
"When we designed that pin we thought of the department, but it describes Paul," Murakami said.
Born in Tucson, Ariz., on July 25, 1967, Wilms lived in Ontario for the past eight years.
As part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and working in Industry, Wilms was the All American Soap Box Derby Race director, Youth Activities League member and a founding member of Vital Intervention and Directional Alternatives, a program for at-risk youth.
"Paul gave his all to the kids in the VIDA program, and many lives were changed because of it," Deputy John Almeida said.
Almeida recounted a story from about six months ago when he and Wilms were listening to a Christian radio show shortly after the death of another deputy. The show was answering callers' questions from a biblical perspective.
Wilms decided to call and ask, "why does God allow the good to die instead of the bad?" Almeida recalled Friday.
"This is probably a question we are asking ourselves today," Almeida said.
The answer that the show's host gave was that a person's works on Earth mattered in the afterlife, which seemed to mollify the deputy, Almeida said.
Gina Wilms, the deputy's grief-stricken wife, briefly spoke saying that her husband would have chided her for speaking too long.
"He is a man of honor, courage and most of all compassion," she said, as the Wilmses' two children, Jazmyne,11, and Kyle, 7, stood beside her. "He is and always will be my hero."
After a long caravan drove to Bellevue Memorial Park in Ontario where Paul Wilms will be interred, family members, including Wilms' parents, Barbara and Phillip, said their final goodbyes.
It was one of three funerals Los Angeles County deputies have attended in the past few weeks.
Deputy Maria Cecelia Rosa, 30, of Pomona, was killed March 28 during an apparent robbery attempt. Police are still searching for the suspects.
On March 23, Deputy Pierre Bain, 45, was killed in an on-duty motorcycle accident.
A somber Baca, who handed the flag covering Wilms' coffin to Gina Wilms, said Friday that it has been a tough few weeks for the department.
"I don't think we have ever had this many officers die off- or on-duty" in such a short period, said Baca who also handed flags to the families of the other two deputies.
"But our deputies are tight and understand the sacrifices that are made."
The 38-year-old Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was a highly regarded training officer, dedicated to programs for troubled youth, and a strong family man, Sheriff Lee Baca said.
"Thus, we have a man who loved his work, (which was) a sign of courage, especially when the risks are so high," Baca said.
Hundreds of deputies, friends and officers from other agencies joined family members at the funeral service of Wilms that was held at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino.
The 17-year veteran accidentally shot and killed himself March 30 at an Industry sheriff's youth center. According to police, Wilms was cleaning his gun.
On Friday, colleagues described Wilms as an officer who was the standard for all officers.
Lt. Tim Murakami said a pin that deputies wear indicating honor and integrity of service as the highest virtues held by the department accurately portrayed Wilms.
"When we designed that pin we thought of the department, but it describes Paul," Murakami said.
Born in Tucson, Ariz., on July 25, 1967, Wilms lived in Ontario for the past eight years.
As part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and working in Industry, Wilms was the All American Soap Box Derby Race director, Youth Activities League member and a founding member of Vital Intervention and Directional Alternatives, a program for at-risk youth.
"Paul gave his all to the kids in the VIDA program, and many lives were changed because of it," Deputy John Almeida said.
Almeida recounted a story from about six months ago when he and Wilms were listening to a Christian radio show shortly after the death of another deputy. The show was answering callers' questions from a biblical perspective.
Wilms decided to call and ask, "why does God allow the good to die instead of the bad?" Almeida recalled Friday.
"This is probably a question we are asking ourselves today," Almeida said.
The answer that the show's host gave was that a person's works on Earth mattered in the afterlife, which seemed to mollify the deputy, Almeida said.
Gina Wilms, the deputy's grief-stricken wife, briefly spoke saying that her husband would have chided her for speaking too long.
"He is a man of honor, courage and most of all compassion," she said, as the Wilmses' two children, Jazmyne,11, and Kyle, 7, stood beside her. "He is and always will be my hero."
After a long caravan drove to Bellevue Memorial Park in Ontario where Paul Wilms will be interred, family members, including Wilms' parents, Barbara and Phillip, said their final goodbyes.
It was one of three funerals Los Angeles County deputies have attended in the past few weeks.
Deputy Maria Cecelia Rosa, 30, of Pomona, was killed March 28 during an apparent robbery attempt. Police are still searching for the suspects.
On March 23, Deputy Pierre Bain, 45, was killed in an on-duty motorcycle accident.
A somber Baca, who handed the flag covering Wilms' coffin to Gina Wilms, said Friday that it has been a tough few weeks for the department.
"I don't think we have ever had this many officers die off- or on-duty" in such a short period, said Baca who also handed flags to the families of the other two deputies.
"But our deputies are tight and understand the sacrifices that are made."
CHINO - Family and colleagues remembered Deputy Paul Alexander Wilms on Friday as a man who gave more of himself than most do in two lifetimes.
The 38-year-old Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was a highly regarded training officer, dedicated to programs for troubled youth, and a strong family man, Sheriff Lee Baca said.
"Thus, we have a man who loved his work, (which was) a sign of courage, especially when the risks are so high," Baca said.
Hundreds of deputies, friends and officers from other agencies joined family members at the funeral service of Wilms that was held at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino.
The 17-year veteran accidentally shot and killed himself March 30 at an Industry sheriff's youth center. According to police, Wilms was cleaning his gun.
On Friday, colleagues described Wilms as an officer who was the standard for all officers.
Lt. Tim Murakami said a pin that deputies wear indicating honor and integrity of service as the highest virtues held by the department accurately portrayed Wilms.
"When we designed that pin we thought of the department, but it describes Paul," Murakami said.
Born in Tucson, Ariz., on July 25, 1967, Wilms lived in Ontario for the past eight years.
As part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and working in Industry, Wilms was the All American Soap Box Derby Race director, Youth Activities League member and a founding member of Vital Intervention and Directional Alternatives, a program for at-risk youth.
"Paul gave his all to the kids in the VIDA program, and many lives were changed because of it," Deputy John Almeida said.
Almeida recounted a story from about six months ago when he and Wilms were listening to a Christian radio show shortly after the death of another deputy. The show was answering callers' questions from a biblical perspective.
Wilms decided to call and ask, "why does God allow the good to die instead of the bad?" Almeida recalled Friday.
"This is probably a question we are asking ourselves today," Almeida said.
The answer that the show's host gave was that a person's works on Earth mattered in the afterlife, which seemed to mollify the deputy, Almeida said.
Gina Wilms, the deputy's grief-stricken wife, briefly spoke saying that her husband would have chided her for speaking too long.
"He is a man of honor, courage and most of all compassion," she said, as the Wilmses' two children, Jazmyne,11, and Kyle, 7, stood beside her. "He is and always will be my hero."
After a long caravan drove to Bellevue Memorial Park in Ontario where Paul Wilms will be interred, family members, including Wilms' parents, Barbara and Phillip, said their final goodbyes.
It was one of three funerals Los Angeles County deputies have attended in the past few weeks.
Deputy Maria Cecelia Rosa, 30, of Pomona, was killed March 28 during an apparent robbery attempt. Police are still searching for the suspects.
On March 23, Deputy Pierre Bain, 45, was killed in an on-duty motorcycle accident.
A somber Baca, who handed the flag covering Wilms' coffin to Gina Wilms, said Friday that it has been a tough few weeks for the department.
"I don't think we have ever had this many officers die off- or on-duty" in such a short period, said Baca who also handed flags to the families of the other two deputies.
"But our deputies are tight and understand the sacrifices that are made."
The 38-year-old Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was a highly regarded training officer, dedicated to programs for troubled youth, and a strong family man, Sheriff Lee Baca said.
"Thus, we have a man who loved his work, (which was) a sign of courage, especially when the risks are so high," Baca said.
Hundreds of deputies, friends and officers from other agencies joined family members at the funeral service of Wilms that was held at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino.
The 17-year veteran accidentally shot and killed himself March 30 at an Industry sheriff's youth center. According to police, Wilms was cleaning his gun.
On Friday, colleagues described Wilms as an officer who was the standard for all officers.
Lt. Tim Murakami said a pin that deputies wear indicating honor and integrity of service as the highest virtues held by the department accurately portrayed Wilms.
"When we designed that pin we thought of the department, but it describes Paul," Murakami said.
Born in Tucson, Ariz., on July 25, 1967, Wilms lived in Ontario for the past eight years.
As part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and working in Industry, Wilms was the All American Soap Box Derby Race director, Youth Activities League member and a founding member of Vital Intervention and Directional Alternatives, a program for at-risk youth.
"Paul gave his all to the kids in the VIDA program, and many lives were changed because of it," Deputy John Almeida said.
Almeida recounted a story from about six months ago when he and Wilms were listening to a Christian radio show shortly after the death of another deputy. The show was answering callers' questions from a biblical perspective.
Wilms decided to call and ask, "why does God allow the good to die instead of the bad?" Almeida recalled Friday.
"This is probably a question we are asking ourselves today," Almeida said.
The answer that the show's host gave was that a person's works on Earth mattered in the afterlife, which seemed to mollify the deputy, Almeida said.
Gina Wilms, the deputy's grief-stricken wife, briefly spoke saying that her husband would have chided her for speaking too long.
"He is a man of honor, courage and most of all compassion," she said, as the Wilmses' two children, Jazmyne,11, and Kyle, 7, stood beside her. "He is and always will be my hero."
After a long caravan drove to Bellevue Memorial Park in Ontario where Paul Wilms will be interred, family members, including Wilms' parents, Barbara and Phillip, said their final goodbyes.
It was one of three funerals Los Angeles County deputies have attended in the past few weeks.
Deputy Maria Cecelia Rosa, 30, of Pomona, was killed March 28 during an apparent robbery attempt. Police are still searching for the suspects.
On March 23, Deputy Pierre Bain, 45, was killed in an on-duty motorcycle accident.
A somber Baca, who handed the flag covering Wilms' coffin to Gina Wilms, said Friday that it has been a tough few weeks for the department.
"I don't think we have ever had this many officers die off- or on-duty" in such a short period, said Baca who also handed flags to the families of the other two deputies.
"But our deputies are tight and understand the sacrifices that are made."
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