Paul Joseph Rolfsen

Paul Joseph Rolfsen, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on August 31, 2026, in the city where he was also born on January 16, 1936. In a final moment cherished by those who loved him, “Paul and Jesus said, Paul, Paul, wake up, Paul. Jesus sounded a lot like Rosalie.”

Paul’s life was rooted in faith, family, and the simple joys that made a house and garden feel like home. Jesus told him you don’t have much, but you are all very loved so go out and make something of yourself in this world. So he did. He left school and enrolled in a seminary and studied theology. He soon realized that his heart wasn’t in it and his life revolved around a girl named Rosalie. So he left the seminary and went back to Indianapolis to work in a gas station. He then bought his own gas station, Paul’s Pure Oil. Rosalie didn’t know it yet, but Paul was preparing himself to woo her till she said yes. He attended St. Meinrad, and throughout his life he found happiness in golfing, watching the birds, and tending his flower garden. He was an expert gardener, and the care he gave to growing things reflected the care he gave to the people around him. Family was his heart, and that devotion remained at the center of his life.

I think the poem he wrote for her finally did it: Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where my Rosalie is… With words like that, how could anyone refuse? Paul and Rosalie tied the knot. Then Jesus said, Paul start a family and he did, four kids to be exact on a dead end street called Jordan Road. His father-in-law helped him make a career in the telephone business with Indiana Bell to provide for them. When the kids were old enough to go out on their own, Paul and Rosalie built their dream home in the woods of Mooresville.

There were many family get-togethers and memorable times spent in that wonderful home. Jesus said, Paul now that you’re retired have some fun. So he bought a home in the Florida sun and took up golf. He was obsessed with golf and being near his brother Jack and his wife Betty. He and Rosalie traveled back-and-forth between Indiana and Florida with their loving dog Sweeney. Jesus finally said to Paul, I apologize. Paul asked what are you apologizing for? Jesus said, I watched over you and Rosalie all your lives but I took my eyes off you for a few minutes in May 2023. I’m so sorry. Rosalie left him soon after and now Jesus is asking Paul to join him and Rosalie.

He is survived by his children, Jeff and Susan Rolfsen, Chris and Kathy Rolfsen, Debbie and Greg Rolfen-Klein, and Mike and Stephanie Rolfsen. He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Chad and Shelby, Eric and Krystle, Kaiti and Robbie, Meredith and Greg, Michael and Erin, Emma, Ava, Charlie, Tyler, and Kyle and 13 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Through each generation, Paul’s love took root and flourished, and his family will continue to carry his memory forward with gratitude and affection.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosalie Rolfsen, his beloved partner of 67 years, as well as by his parents, George and Magdeline (Wittekind) Rolfsen. The love he shared with Rosalie was a defining part of his life and remains a treasured part of his family’s story.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 3, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at O’Riley – Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, 6107 S East St, Indianapolis, IN 46227. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday,  September 4, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Roch Catholic Church, 3600 South Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN 46227. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn Memory Garden.

Please visit www.ORileyBranson.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.

Paul will be remembered as a man of many words and stories, with lots of phrases and words that describe him. A few follows: That’s just part of life, I’ve never been wrong, I know everything, I know a better way to get there, you’re doing it wrong. A few others: family man, a loving father, a loving husband with a soft heart, a man of great faith. Paul will be missed by all of us: his laughter, his stories, and his sense of humor. But most of all, we will miss his love. Bless you, Paul.