That was until the 52-year-old was the victim of a "brazen" crime at his residence in Prospect in July last year.

Paul was asleep on his couch just after midnight when he heard noise from his garage where 21-year-old Brady Wheldon-Tynan and another man were attempting to steal his car.

Police believe a stun gun was pointed at Paul during the confrontation, but could find no evidence that it was fired. Paul died of a heart attack just over an hour later while trying to cancel his stolen bank card, although the court heard the crime did not cause his death.

His sister, Lee Harper, of Ravenswood, said the crime was a cruel blow to the whole family.

"This was the first night he'd been on a date, he was just asleep on his couch after that," she said.

"Paul was in a happy place. He was planning a trip to the Philippines but then these people came and had to cause him this trouble that he just didn't need.

"He was such a quiet, gentle soul."

Paul had suffered a mild heart attack in his 30s but lifestyle changes had resulted in an improvement in his health.

Wheldon-Tynan was sentenced in the Supreme Court to two years and 10 months in prison late last month, but Paul's family wants all would-be criminals to understand that crime can have serious, unforeseen and often hidden consequences.

It was perhaps telling that the busy Coles distribution centre on Garfield Street was temporarily closed so that Paul's coworkers could attend his funeral.

He had just celebrated 15 years working at the site as a storeman where his friendly nature and hard-working attitude was widely appreciated.

His big sister, Susan Johnston, also of Ravenswood, said Paul's funeral was "massive" - a reflection of his standing among friends, family and coworkers.

"He was one of the most gentle people that you could have ever met. He would do anything for anybody. Life was about everyone else - it wasn't always about him," she said.

"He'd lost his partner. He'd gone on a downhill slope, but he was getting better.

"That made it harder for us because we knew he was getting his life back."

Then there was the call that no sibling would ever want to receive.

Susan and Lee were called in to identify Paul with the warning that his heart attack might have altered his appearance in some ways.

Susan said the entire chain of events was devastating.

"We were in his house trying to see if he had a will when the police came and told us we had to leave because it was a crime scene. That mortified me," she said.

"To find out that it could've been caused by somebody doing something - we didn't know of the taser at that stage - it just made it so much worse, that sense of not knowing what had happened.

"We also had to identify his body. It was heart-wrenching.

"I still think of his face every day."

Police learned of the offending against Paul after Wheldon-Tynan was arrested in possession of Paul's bank cards the following day, and then his neighbours found his body. Police were not made aware of the presence of a taser until well after Paul's funeral, and his body featured no evidence of physical harm.

"It is not asserted by the prosecution that the defendant's crime played any causative role in his death and no charge arises from it," Justice Robert Pearce said in his sentencing remarks.

While accepting and appreciative of the work of the police involved in the case, Paul's sisters can never shake the feeling that his death could have been preventable.

Lee said innocent people were harmed by crime every week in Launceston, and it could have far-reaching consequences.

"These criminals, they don't realise what happens after they leave the places where they commit crime," she said.

"They had no idea if Paul had a little kid, if he had a wife, a family - they wouldn't have known.

"Any criminal that breaks into someone's house: you're not just taking their belongings, you're taking their families as well. How many other times does it happen? You just don't know."

Susan said the situation had made her distrustful.

"I've had people in my life that have had kids do the wrong thing, but I've always given them the benefit of the doubt," she said.

"I can't do that anymore.

"Your whole perception changes."

Whatever happens, the sisters just want their brother remembered for who he was: a man whose selfless character made him beloved by all.