PAUL DOREY
1948-2022
REGULAR DIVISION 2024
Paul E. Dorey lived in Vista from 1971 until his passing in 2022. He and his wife, Nancy, raised their two daughters, Cyndy and Renee in the Vista Unified School District. As a young man, Paul served in the United States Marine Corps (Marine Corps) and received a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam. He believed wholeheartedly in the adage, “Once a Marine, always a Marine”, and as a Marine Corps veteran, Paul strived to advance the Nation’s ideals his entire life.
Paul went to work for Vista Irrigation District (VID) in 1971 and after a long and industrious career he retired in 2004. He climbed the ladder to be a leader in the organization, advancing from digging trenches and laying pipe to overseeing the Water Resources Division as its Director. Wanting to continue his work with the VID, Paul was elected to its Board of Directors in 2006, proudly serving three terms until his passing in April 2022. During his 16 years on the VID Board, he led the Board as its President for three terms. Paul’s passion for water and his dedication to the District and its customers was apparent, working for the District and then serving as a member of its governing body for a combined 49 years, nearly half of the District’s 100-year existence!
For the benefit of the VID customers and in the interest of keeping the cost of water down and service reliability up, Paul dedicated his time and effort to ensure that VID maintained the most comprehensive, affordable liability insurance possible through the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Joint Powers Insurance Authority (JPIA). He served on the ACWA JPIA Board of Directors for 15 of his 16 years on the VID Board.
Paul had a steadfast interest in protecting the State and local groundwater resources, as VID had a groundwater source on the Warner Ranch that supplemented surface water runoff into Lake Henshaw during dry years. He was a founding member and long-time Board member of the Groundwater Resources Association of California, an organization dedicated to resource management, protecting and improving the groundwater supply and quality through education and technical leadership. Paul also served on the ACWA Groundwater Committee for 15 years, and the San Luis Rey Watershed Council and the Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC) and the SCWC Colorado River Advisory Task Force.
Paul was active in the Vista community. For over 20 years, he was an active member of the Vista Kiwanis Club participating in fundraising efforts, such as selling peanuts at the stoplights throughout Vista, and community events including clothing drives to help children in need; he also served as the Club’s President and wrote the newsletter. Paul also coached Vista Girls Softball and continued to support the softball league after he finished coaching, serving as its scorekeeper. Additionally, he volunteered his time on the Vista Hall of Fame Nominating Committee for 13 years.
After Paul’s time in Vietnam in communication, he acquired a love for ham radios and Morse Code. On weekends, you could always find him in his “Ham Shack” making connections around the world with other fellow “Hams”. Paul’s passion for radio communication came in handy a few times during emergency fires across the county when telephone lines were down; he was known to step in and assist with communications, using the radio skills he learned as a Marine and continued as a hobby.
Paul’s public-spirited efforts will be remembered and appreciated far into the future and serve as an example of an unwavering commitment to the community in which he lived, worked and played. He was active in the Vista community through civic organizations, but for decades, he played a vital role in bringing a reliable, safe water supply to the Vista community.