Paul Richard Deuster was born September 19, 1942, in Oklahoma and raised in Racine, Wisconsin. He died peacefully at his Fairfax, Virginia home on November 20, 2018, at age 76, surrounded by the family he loved — his wife of nearly 50 years, Lien, their two daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren.

Paul earned degrees in chemistry, mathematics, and economics before completing a PhD in economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A research trip to Indonesia for his dissertation launched both his career as a development economist and his marriage — he met his wife on that same trip. He went on to teach economics at Ohio University before joining USAID in 1984, where he spent more than 20 years leading economic growth programs in the Philippines, Egypt, Indonesia, and Washington, working with the World Bank and other development organizations along the way.

Colleagues remembered him as a kind, thoughtful, and dedicated economist who genuinely cared about the people his work was meant to help. Outside of work, Paul loved to travel with an open mind and respect for other cultures, and he loved bridge — playing it with others and, just as happily, reading books on strategy.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, a sister, a brother, and a brother-in-law.