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What began as a heartwarming story of three siblings coming together to be closer to their dad ended with heartbreak on the latest episode of HGTV‘s hit series “Home Town” starring Ben and Erin Napier.
On April 9, 2023, the Paulsen siblings — sisters Pam Paulsen Danielson and Jennifer Paulsen Thornton, and their brother Tom Paulsen — appeared on “Home Town” as they purchased a dilapidated Victorian house together in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, with the purpose of having a place to stay anytime they wanted to “come home” to visit their dad.
“This is gonna make it so much easier for the Paulsens when they’re traveling to be with their dad,” Erin said during the episode. “This’ll be home away from home for all of them.”
Paulsen Danielson echoed that sentiment, saying, “I can’t wait to have this as our home base when we come to town. It’ll be really great to have our parents in the home and have us all be together as a family in the home.”
But fans were confused and stunned to learn, via a note at the end of the credits and in a post-show tweet from Ben, that the Paulsens’ dad actually died mere days after the home’s renovations were completed.
Here’s what you need to know:
Siblings Lose Dad Shortly After Renovating Home to Be Closer to Him
At the end of the final credits on the episode featuring the Paulsen family, a brief tribute caught fans off guard. Text over a black screen simply said “In Loving Memory … Thomas J. Paulsen … 1939-2023.”
According to an obituary in the Laurel Leader-Call, Paulsen died at age 83 on March 5, 2023. Though the obituary did not mention a spouse among his survivors, it included his three children and 11 grandchildren and said Paulsen would be “remembered for his sharp wit, passion for flying, motorcycles and love of the outdoors.”
“Of his broad interests ranging from cooking to fishing to history and NASCAR, first among them was his love for his country,” the obituary continued. “He traveled the world for business, was an avid reader and a talented craftsman. A memorial service will take place this summer on the beach in Alabama, his happy place.”
Shortly after the episode aired, co-star Ben Napier tweeted, “I hope y’all noticed the ‘in memory of’ at the end. The Paulsen’s dad passed away a few days after we finished the house.”
Fans flooded his tweet with stunned reactions, sharing their shock and hoping the family’s patriarch got to see the home before his death.
One person wrote, “I gasped when I saw that! How heartbreaking!”
“So sorry for their loss,” another wrote. “I hope he got to see the house before he passed.”
“I noticed & my heart hurt for them,” one viewer commented. “So sad. Hope they continue with their plan of visiting Laurel. It will be hard but they need to continue so their family stays close. To many times once the parents pass, the children go their separate ways. The house is beautiful.”
A month after her dad’s death, on April 4, Paulsen Danielson sounded upbeat in a Facebook post announcing the upcoming episode and did not mention her dad’s death.
She wrote, “Y’all! We have very exciting news!! My brother and sister and I bought a house in Laurel, Mississippi, and we are going to be on Hometown on HGTV this Sunday!”
‘Home Town’ Restoration Hailed as One of Series’ Best
The “Home Town” episode featuring the Paulsen siblings featured such an impressive home transformation that, according to Erin’s Instagram post about the project, the show’s director called it his “all-time favorite episode for its layered stories, heart and hometown nostalgia.”
Meanwhile, House Beautiful has published a photo-rich story about the final results, which will also be featured in its print edition.
The Napiers put extra time into the home to include nostaligic and personal touches. Abstract artist Shelley Bolton, who grew up in Laurel, was brought into the episode to create a large original painting for the home. When Erin told the siblings that Bolton had painted “the view pulling out of your parents’ driveway on Old Bay,” both sisters got choked up.
Meanwhile, Ben and his team at the Scottsman General Store & Workshop, created a round table that can collapse or expand to fit up to 10 people. In the center of the table is a unique star design made of salvaged wood from a basketball court at the University of Mississippi, which is the Paulsens’ and Napiers’ alma mater.
Live-tweeting as the episode aired, Erin wrote, “HA there will never be another table like that one. it took about 10 billion man hours to build it!”
She also told House Beautiful of the old home, “The whole goal of this project and the way we renovated it was to restore and return it to what it was—what we think it was.”
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