Obituary of Shirley Theone Paul

Shirley Theone Paul was born in Toledo, Ohio, on November 18, 1930, as the second of four children to Alfred Cletus Paul and Enid Hendricks Paul. She is survived by her sister Judith Paul Osha MD and predeceased by her sister Alice Paul Green and brother James Paul.

After her family relocated to West Franklin, Indiana, Shirley’s early childhood was spent playing along the Ohio river with her elder sister Alice and working in her grandfather’s general store. In high school, she studied music and sang in the choir in a clear soprano voice. In 1948, she entered Evansville College then transferred to Washington University in St. Louis a year later. At Washington University she lived with her maternal aunt, Ivy “Bee” Hendricks who instilled in her a great sense of independence and drive. Shirley graduated in 1952 with a degree in marketing and finance and wasted no time striking out on her own to work for Procter and Gamble where she traveled the US performing product demonstration and consumer follow up surveying. She went on to work for Push Button Corporation and an undisclosed contractor with Los Alamos Labs before relocating to Albuquerque, NM.

In Albuquerque, Shirley was reunited with her beloved Aunt Bee who lived in the tiny village of Placitas on the side of the Sandia Mountains. Shirley worked as an accountant doing tax returns for notable corporations and several famous families. During these years she spent a good deal of time with her niece, Kathy Paul Wallmueller and her nephew James Craig Paul. After her Aunt Bee’s death, Shirley retired and moved to Atlanta to live with her sister Alice, husband Robert Green, and their son Robert Webb Green. For the next 30 years, Shirley often attended ice hockey games and other sports activities with her grandnephews Alex and Austin Green. Upon the death of her sister Alice, Shirley moved to McLean, VA to live with her widowed sister Judith and, finally, to Morgantown, WV, to be near her niece Jen Osha-Buysse and her boys. During her final years, Shirley enjoyed sharing fiddle gigs, dinners and walks with her great-nephews Elijah and Rowan and visits from her extended family.

Throughout her life, Shirley was a strong, independent, hardworking and determined woman who achieved things that single women weren’t supposed to be able to in the 1950s and ’60s. She was then, and remains now, an inspiration to her nieces. But beyond her achievements, she was the best Aunt, sister, and friend you could hope to have. Her humorous holiday cards, perfectly wrapped gifts, wry jokes and biting sense of wit were always her calling cards and the things we’ll miss most about her. Godspeed Shirley Paul, we will see you again.

 

Shirley's funeral will be held in McLean, Va in November.  In keeping with her wishes, cremation services have been entrusted to Hastings Funeral Home in Morgantown and online condolences may be made at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com. 

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