Raleigh James Paulson of Golden, Colorado, passed away on June 16, 2024, at the age of 22 from an accidental overdose.
He was born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, to parents Carrie Paulson and Steve Kroschel.
Carrie, a school teacher, raised Raleigh as a single parent to the age of 7 with loving assistance from her aunt Katie McManus and her father Roland Paulson, aka Rollie, the origin of Raleigh’s name. Katie was there at Raleigh’s birth and helped Carrie through those challenging early years of motherhood, calling him “little stinker.” Rollie took great pride in his grandson and kept detailed notes on all the precocious and hilarious things that “little mister” said. Raleigh brought tremendous joy to his grandfather and his great aunt.
At the age of 7 Raleigh acquired a stepfather, Aidan Ridley, and two older stepbrothers, Chris and Sam Ridley. Sibling rivalries aside, they enriched each others’ lives immensely.
Raleigh was part of a large extended family, the McManus clan, all of whom love him and have fond memories of him at family gatherings.
As a youngster, Raleigh was forever digging into ant piles, searching for termites, and collecting wasps and black widow spiders. We thought he was destined to become an entomologist.
Raleigh had an active imagination, indicative of his high intelligence, which was apparent to anyone fortunate enough to spend significant time with him.
Raleigh had a knack for friendship from a young age. His network of friends expanded with each school he attended: Slater Elementary, Prospect Valley Elementary, Manning Middle and Golden High. He was working on a degree in economics at Colorado State University, where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.
Raleigh was an enthusiastic and talented soccer and rugby player. Naturally agile and quick, athletics were a good outlet for his unending energy. They also gave him many enduring friendships. He turned to weight lifting in his college years and enjoyed daily workouts.
Raleigh is survived by his mother Carrie Paulson, stepfather Aidan Ridley and stepbrothers Chris Ridley and Sam Ridley. He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Roland Paulson, and grandmother, Megan McManus.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Raleigh’s memory to the SAFE Project, a national organization working to reduce addiction fatalities, using this link: In Memory of Raleigh James Paulson | SAFE Project (Powered by Donorbox). You can learn more about SAFE Project here.
