Contact: Mary Margaret Colliver

Paul C. Van Booven

“Patsy and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and many friends of Paul Van Booven. Paul was a dear friend as well as a trusted, hard-working University of Kentucky colleague.

-- Lee T. Todd Jr.
president,
University of Kentucky

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Paul Van Booven. He was an extremely competent attorney who always represented the interests of the university very well. I will certainly miss him.”

-- Charles T. Wethington Jr.
former president,
University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 10, 2004) -- Paul C. Van Booven, general counsel for the University of Kentucky, died this morning at the UK Markey Cancer Center.

Van Booven, 53, was born in Jackson, Tenn., but grew up in Hopkinsville, Ky.

He is survived by his parents Floyd and Ruth Van Booven of Hopkinsville, in addition to one brother and two sisters: Peter Van Booven of Hopkinsville; Caroline Ballard of Orlando, Fla.; and Rebekah Tribiesh of Morago, Calif., and several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his friend and partner Geoff Malloy of Lexington, Ky.

Friends and family will gather at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at 352 South Mill Street in Lexington. Memorial services will be scheduled at a later date. Kerr Brothers Funeral Home--Main Street, Lexington, is handling the arrangements.

“Patsy and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and many friends of Paul Van Booven,” said UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. “Paul was a dear friend as well as a trusted, hard-working University of Kentucky colleague. During his extended illness, and on days when most of us would have remained in the comfort of our homes, Paul was remarkably brave about coming to the university he loved so much to tend to his official duties. And he did it so cheerfully. If you had not already known it, you would never have guessed on those days that Paul was suffering from a critical illness. We will sincerely miss his cheerful and wise counsel—both professional and personal—and mourn the loss of his excellent institutional memory about UK.”

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Paul Van Booven,” said former UK President Charles T. Wethington Jr. “He was totally dedicated to the University of Kentucky. He was an extremely competent attorney who always represented the interests of the university very well. I will certainly miss him.”

Van Booven had been associated with UK in various capacities for almost three decades. He was appointed as UK’s general counsel in November 2002, after serving as acting general counsel from May 2002. The UK Board of Trustees unanimously approved his appointment citing Van Booven’s institutional knowledge and understanding of the university’s organizational structure and operations.

Van Booven received his bachelor’s degree from DePauw University before returning to Kentucky to receive his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1976.

At UK, Van Booven served as the managing editor of the Kentucky Law Journal.

He served as an assistant and associate dean in the UK College of Law from 1976 through 1989.

He moved to the UK Office of Legal Counsel in 1989 as associate general counsel and served as deputy general counsel and, on two occasions, as acting general counsel.

Van Booven was admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Paul C. Van Booven Memorial Fund in the UK College of Law, Office of Development, University of Kentucky, Sturgill Development Building, Lexington, Ky. 40506-0015, or phone 800-875-6272.