Coffee company to brew happy memories of Tortosa man dead from rare cancer

The Lakes resident Paul Smith is caffeinating for a cause.

Smith will open an online coffee business to spread awareness of peritoneal mesothelioma and honor his son, Paul Smith III, who died in November of the disease.

The younger Smith, who lived in Tortosa and ran a popular philosophy-based Instagram account with nearly 50,000 followers, was diagnosed with the rare yet aggressive cancer in December 2022. While mesothelioma is often associated with chest cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, Smith said that wasn’t the case for his son.

“The ironic thing is that my son was not in the military or worked around asbestos or anything when he was diagnosed,” he said. “[A group of mesothelioma attorneys] concluded that it was due to the baby powder that my wife and I used when he was baby.”

Several months later, Paul Smith III underwent surgery to remove the cancer and while recovering, he told his parents of his post-recovery goal.

“He had said, ‘Mom and Dad, when I get better, I want to have a mobile coffee business,’” Smith recalled. “He wanted to buy a van and sell coffee and books.”

Unfortunately, that dream did not come to fruition. Paul Smith III passed away at age 37 on Nov. 20 from an infection.

Since then, Smith and his wife Dora have struggled to figure out the best way to pay tribute to their son.

“We wanted to keep his legacy alive and decided instead of buying a van, let’s start an online coffee business,” he said.

That birthed Bubba Brewing Company, taking on Paul’s childhood nickname.

While plans are still in the works for the logo and coffee blends, Smith said he intends for all proceeds to be donated to a trust for Paul’s two daughters. He added that he hopes people can use the coffee brand as a method of spreading awareness of mesothelioma.

“I’m just trying to keep my son’s legacy and dream alive and for people to be aware of this type of cancer,” he said. “His dream was to get better and do this coffee business.”

Sales will begin in early September. Updates can be found on the Bubba Brewing Company Instagram account.

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