Paul Atherton: Mentor, Athlete, Friend

COMMUNITY NEWS

By Randy B. Young
Correspondent

Even if you didn’t truly know Paul Atherton, you probably met him at some point. Maybe you knew him as a fellow UNC grad or saw him in uniform as a Carrboro Police Officer or as a counselor or through the Orange County Courts.

Perhaps you knew him as a track and cross-country coach at Chapel Hill High School in the 2000’s. Maybe you saw him running on the Carolina North Forest Trails or as a member of the Trailheads running group that champions and runs on the local trails. Or maybe you knew him as a great storyteller and reciter of long trail jokes that helped the miles go by… inevitably consummated with a punchline that, met with a communal groan, was horrible…if not criminal.

My friend Paul Atherton passed due to health issues on January 3, 2026. He was taken from us and from the entire community far too early. Paul was a sort of glue that bound the entire community together, hiding the cracks and imperfections, humbly binding us through mutual respect for service and through our shared grief that he has been taken from us.

“He was known for his intelligence, warmth, and commitment to the community,” a post from the Cremation Society of the Carolinas noted, “and he will be deeply missed by his many friends.

Paul is survived by his brother, Rick Atherton, sister-in-law, Carolie, and nieces, Emmalie and Katie.

Carrboro noted Thursday, however, that the memorial for Paul Atherton previously scheduled for Saturday, January 31 at Hargraves Center has been postponed due to the prospect for winter weather over the weekend. Please check back on the Carrboro Police Facebook page for updates when a new date / time is established.

A 2003 photo of the Trailheads running group (Paul Atherton on the far right), who continue to run regularly and stage the Philosopher’s Way Trail Run in Carolina North Forest each spring. Shown from left to right, Bill “Icarus” Vanca, Steve “Squonk” Hoge, Bruce “Goofus” Wilks, Bryan “Chief” Kempter, “Mimi “Splintercat” O’Grady, Lee “Hodag” Schimmelfing, and Paul “Ding” Atherton. Photo by Randy B. “Yellowdog” Young

Trail-gating…

I first met Paul Atheron as “Dingball”—or simply “Ding”—through his unofficial affiliation with the local Trailheads running group in the very early 2000’s. The Trailheads themselves are a local group running enthusiasts—a loose association of self-admitted lunacy bound together by a common love of coffee, cryptic “trail names,” and a longstanding debate on the efficacy of headlamps.

One of the first to run with the fledgling group, Paul was known—if not appreciated—for reciting humorous stories on the trails that would easily last throughout an easy, sixty-minute run and then consistently pay off with a pleasingly dreadful joke that had runners wondering at how they’d spent the past hour.

And we loved him for it.

Paul Atherton, pictured with members of the Chapel Hill High School 2010 cross-country team—in the left photo with Sarah Jane Kerwin; in the right photo, with Kyle Villemain (left) and Asher Hertzberg (right). Photo by Randy B. Young.

Tiger, tiger, burning bright…

It could be said many athletes’ running experiences were influenced and enriched at some point in their career by Paul Atherton, particularly young runners in the latter 2000’s, including my daughter, who ran for the Tigers from 2009 – 2013.

Paul’s humility, approachability, and knowledge was a perfect fit at Chapel Hill High School where he was an assistant track and field and cross-country coach along with fellow assistant Kevin Swain, both under legendary coach Ron Olsen, who had a stellar career, winning nine state championships during his tenure at Chapel Hill.

Fittingly, Atherton was known among athletes for his humble nature, his dedication to running, and, again, his interminably long jokes when running alongside the high school speedsters. He was a fixture at the Tiger cross-country summer training trips to the Boone, NC area, where Paul’s sense of humor found its purchase.

At one point during his coaching, I happened upon him on the forested trails near Horace Williams Airport and we tagged along with each other at a mercifully comfortable pace for almost 50 minutes. During this time, I took it upon myself to offer up a 10-minute joke and emote, embellish, and stretch it out to the entire run. When I finally arrived at the inadequate punchline, Paul stopped in his tracks, doubled over, and let out a guttural moan.

“Oh my gosh,” he said, out-of-breath, “I’m definitely using that joke on Chapel Hill’s long training run at summer camp this year.”

I could think of no higher honor.

Members of the Chapel Hill Tigers 2010 cross-country team just after a grueling run on a team training trip near Boone, NC (Paul Atherton is show on the far left). Photo by Randy B. Young.

“Arms and the Man”

As a coach of the Chapel Hill / Carrboro Pacers Youth Running Club back in the early 2000’s, I invited Paul Atherton to give a short presentation to the runners—most aged 7-12—on the importance of arm position and swing to efficient running form.

As almost 100 impressionable young runners watched on attentively, Paul demonstrated how keeping the elbows at a 90-degree angle and swinging them as if driving a nail led to more efficient running, and he drove the message home with a demonstration.

It was a tip everyone could put into practice—from the kids assembled to the volunteer coaches and parents, and even today, people will still talk fondly about “Coach Atherton’s hammer-and-nail speech.”

Paul Atherton served as a Carrboro Police Officer for over 10 years, after which he continued to serve the community and continued to be involved in our justice system, working as a Magistrate for Orange County, working the Clerk’s Office as a Deputy Clerk, and as a Drug Treatment Coordinator. Photo courtesy of Rick Atherton.

Feeling blue

Paul’s career was spent giving back to the community, both as a teacher and through law enforcement, including a 10-year stint as a Town of Carrboro Police Officer.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Paul Atherton,” a Carrboro Police Department Facebook post stated. “Paul served as a Carrboro Police Officer for over 10 years.

After his law enforcement career, he continued to serve the community and continued to be involved in our justice system. He served as a Magistrate for Orange County, worked in the Clerk’s Office as a Deputy Clerk, was the Drug Treatment Coordinator, and worked with the Judge’s Office as a Juvenile Court/School liaison. Rest easy brother.”

An Orange County Sheriff’s Department post echoed Carrboro’s sentiments.

“Paul worked with us here at the Sheriff’s Office before moving on to the Carrboro Police Department where he served the community,” Orange County said. “He worked for the Chief District Court Judge of Orange and Chatham Counties…Paul also served as a Magistrate in Orange County and most recently worked with our Clerk of Court.

“His passing leaves a void in our hearts.”

Finish lines

I knew Paul Atherton as a fellow running enthusiast, a coach, and a valued member of the community, though I hadn’t seen him in a couple years. One recent summer Saturday night, my wife and I ran into him at Franklin Motors on West Franklin Street. We caught up, shared gossip, told a couple jokes, and laughed the evening away.

While he wasn’t one to suffer idiocy, there was a boyish wonder about Paul Atherton, and there was a humility that is far too rare among community and civil servants these days.

He was, at once, a loving mentor and coach, a beautiful soul, and a dedicated community member, and I miss all of them.

A Dartmouth College graduate, Randy B. Young first worked as an award-winning advertising copywriter in New Hampshire, then in communications at UNC for over 30 years. He maintained an award-winning newspaper feature covering Recreation and Exercise in the Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Orange County. Retired and living in Chapel Hill, Randy continues to write for regional publications both locally and in New England, and his book, And the Stars Flew With Us, is available through Amazon and at independent bookstores. He coaches track at Chapel Hill High and has a photography business, Pierless (sic) Photography. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press