About Paul

Paul James Pfeifer was a strong man of faith. He was a loving husband to Joseph, a father, an uncle, a friend, a musician, a Catholic and an advocate. Like so many of us, Paul suffered from a mental illness and for most of his adult life, Paul lived with bipolar spectrum disorder. Many years were filled with pain and trauma brought on by his mental illness, but he worked very hard to combat it and with the help of loved ones was able to experience years of happiness and joy and love. Paul partnered with his husband Joseph and medical professionals to manage those difficult days with dignity, grace and an intention to heal and he built a beautiful life filled with loving family and friends.

Paul believed that persons living with a mental illness deserved to be treated with dignity and respect. He believed that those suffering from a mental illness should be considered to have the same intrinsic value as every other human being, no matter how their symptoms made them appear. He spoke often about how fortunate he was to have strong and loving family and friends who supported him, and how he wanted that same to be true for others.

On June 12, 2021 Paul was murdered by a man living with severe mental illness who was experiencing a psychotic break. This man's struggles, including barriers imposed by the mental healthcare and legal systems prevented him from getting the support he so desperately needed and wanted to deal with the overwhelming symptoms of his illness.

This tragic event led to the creation of The Paul James Pfeifer Foundation. Paul was not the first victim of the gap in the Minnesota healthcare and legal systems, but Paul's tragic death would become the catalyst for historic legislation in the state of Minnesota to prevent further tragedies like this. In early 2022 Paul’s husband Joseph St James was asked to honor Paul by joining a team of Minnesota legislators to create legislation that would close the gap in the Minnesota healthcare and legal systems. The bill they passed into law is called The Competency Restoration Reform and Mental Health Act. Chapter 99, House File 2725

Paul would be very proud.