Virgel "Paul" Wells of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma left his many friends and family members when he died at home in his favorite chair on June 18, 2024. He was born in Henryetta, OK on October 14, 1944 to Paul G. & Lottie (Nix) Wells. The youngest of five children – and the only boy, Paul (aka Shorty) lived on the family farm in Ryal OK, in Bakersfield CA, and in Henryetta OK before moving to Tulsa in 1962. He married Cheri J. Henry of Henryetta in 1963 and together they had three children. In 2005, he married Shelly Anderson of Lee's Summit, MO.

Paul worked as an auto parts clerk and a welder before he found his true calling as a real estate broker and an auctioneer. Known as "The Restaurant Auctioneer", he established Wells Commercial Auctions specializing in business liquidations serving a four-state region. He was also an instructor for seventeen years at the Fort Smith Auction School. Paul was a lifetime member of the Oklahoma State Auctioneers Association and a member of the Oklahoma Auctioneers' Hall of Fame. Paul had been a member of the Tulsa Scottish Rite and the Akdar Shrine. He enjoyed hunting and the shooting sports and was a member of the Oil Capitol Rod and Gun Club. He was frequently heard recounting tales of bear, elk, deer, and antelope hunts. He loved sharing his knowledge about shooting with his friends and frequented area gun shows to see friends both old and new. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, and traveling, camping, and riding RZRs with his Dirt-N-Duners family. After retirement, he took up the guitar, scroll saw art, the wood lathe, rock painting, and wood carving.

Paul was preceded in death by his wife Cheri, his parents, and his four sisters. He leaves behind his wife Shelly, his three children - Darla Morris, Shannon Wells, and Wendi Stacy and their families; three bonus sons – Jacob Anderson, Joshua Anderson, and Joel Anderson and their families; and many special friends. A memorial service is planned for Saturday July 20,2024 at 1:30 PM at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Broken Arrow OK. A short service will be followed by a gathering of his family and friends in the Church's Fellowship Hall. Never being one to appreciate flowers, he requested that donations in his memory be made to the American Kidney Fund (www.kidneyfund.org).