Paul Joseph Ludwig

Paul J. Ludwig, 78, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, passed away Monday, May 4th, 2026, at Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. Born January 4, 1948, in Langdon, North Dakota, he spent his early childhood in Walhalla, ND. Paul lived a life full of hard work, mechanical know-how, deep family pride, and a constant drive to keep moving and stay busy.

A proud U.S. Navy veteran, Paul served during the Vietnam War while stationed in Honolulu. He stayed committed to his country and was proud to be an American. In May of 2025, Paul completed an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. alongside fellow Vietnam veterans from the Fort Dodge area.

Paul founded and led FM Controls, Inc., an HVAC environmental controls company in Fort Dodge, for more than 20 years. Through the immense stresses and great joys of owning a family run business, Paul took pride in watching FM grow into what is today. After years of hard work and dedicated leadership, Paul handed ownership over to his children Don and Theresa. He continued to work as company President and stayed deeply involved; Paul never stopped mentoring his children. Paul was also a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 613 here in Fort Dodge - it was important for Paul to give back to the community that gave so much to him.

Paul was a hands-on guy who loved getting things done. He was a go-getter and a doer. Among his many sayings was his favorite of them all "If you sit down, you get old". Some of Paul's favorite hobbies included fishing, restoring vintage cars, woodworking, home construction, and yard care - Paul loved anything that kept him moving. Paul and his partner Barb, loved to cheer on his grandchildren in their sporting events, especially the Saint Edmond Catholic High School basketball games where he enjoyed countless warm chocolate chip cookies.

Paul was a teacher and a mentor for everyone around him. His 78 years of life well lived created a fountain of knowledge that he had to share. Paul's grandchildren (Isaac, Ethan, Aaron, Anna, and Taishonna) were blessed by his constant presence in their lives. Close family bonds were extremely important to Paul, and he took great pride in having a significant part in shaping what his grandchildren have become today. Paul inspired character traits like hard work, independence, selflessness, discipline, respect, responsibility, and so many more. Alongside shaping character, Paul taught his grandchildren thousands of life skills, like changing the oil in your car. If you asked Paul, he would have said his grandchildren were the best of the best, and much of that is because they had the very best example in him.

Paul was proud of his grandchildren. His grandson Isaac, served as FM Control's chief engineer for the last four years. During this time, Isaac got to work with his grandpa daily while developing a tight bond and excellent professional skills. His grandson, Ethan, who's been building his career at Woodruff Construction since 2023 -using all those mechanical and project skills he learned hands-on from Grandpa. His grandson, Aaron's cross country and track & field achievements at Wartburg College, where he's studying business administration finance, accounting, and economics. His granddaughter, Anna's upcoming graduations from ICCC and Saint Edmond Catholic High School and was excited about her heading to the University of South Dakota on a track & field scholarship to become a physician assistant. His granddaughter, Taishonna's college studies in Ames as well as her work ethics, balancing shifts, hosting, and serving at Texas Road House made him smile with pride too.

Paul is survived by his partner Barb Cory; children Theresa (Steve) Lursen and Don Ludwig (fiancée Stacey Dodge) of Fort Dodge, and Erika Ludwig of Minnesota; grandchildren Isaac, Ethan, Aaron, Anna, and Taishonna; honorary grandchildren Alexis Miller, Temperence Dodge, and Mila Dodge; siblings Karen, Joni, Myles, Brad, and John; and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his sister Jeanette, father Allen, mother Francis, mother-in-law Evelyn Charbonneau, father-in-law Donald Charbonneau, his best friend Stanford Griffith, and his furry friend, a miniature pinscher Lucy, his little shadow and loyal companion.

A Celebration of Life will be at Rides Banquet Center, 723 South 31st St., on Monday, May 18, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Edmond Athletics to establish the Paul Ludwig Character & Sportsmanship Scholarship (please designate the donation for the scholarship when you give). Laufersweiler Funeral Home is serving the family.

Paul looked forward to continuing to watch his grandchildren grow through life, he will now have front row seats to all sporting events, graduations, and career accomplishments as an angel smiling down from above.