Paula M. (Aldrich) Scott, 64, of Paradise, MI, and formerly of LaPorte, died after a short, unexpected illness at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, in her home with her loving husband and family by her side.
She was born Aug. 9, 1950, in South Bend, IN, to Paul and Madeline (Gardner) Aldrich.
Paula attended school in North Liberty, IN, and graduated from Purdue North Central with a bachelor’s degree in child psychology. In August 2013, she retired from Brown Mackie College as a Career Development Counselor. Prior to Brown Mackie College, Paula was a librarian in North Liberty for 13 years, a position she dearly loved. She was always proud to have had some type of influence in a young person’s life, from the children who visited the library, to inspiring kids to read, to her adult students on their paths to a better future.
Paula and her husband had just moved to their retirement home in Paradise on Lake Superior earlier this year. She loved sitting in the back yard on the beach, overlooking the lake, listening to the crashing waves roll in, watching the freighter ships pass by, and waking to many beautiful sunrises over the lake.
Paula had many passions in life. She was an avid reader, put off by any type of reading technology, often saying nothing was better than the feel of the paper and the smell of ink in a good book. She had a great love of lighthouses. She and her husband visited many lighthouses across the country. She enjoyed doing all types of crafts and quilting, both of which were passions passed down from her mother. She also enjoyed traveling and spending time with her husband, family, friends and beloved pets, Heidi and Maya and Bonnie.
On Aug. 2, 2008, at Big Bay Lighthouse in Marquette, MI, she married the love of her life, James “Mike” Scott, who survives.
Also surviving are her brother, Ed (Deb) Aldrich; brother-in-law, Raymond (Donna) Searles; nieces, Stephanie (Brent) Hudspeth, Stacie (Adam) Marshman and Camryn Pursley; nephews, Matthew (Teyama) Wilhelm, Ryan (Alicia) Wilhelm and John Pursley II; and her very special cousin, Valerie Stewart.
Her parents preceded her in death.
A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Lakeview Funeral Home and Crematory, LaPorte, with Pastor Tim Stewart officiating. Visitation will be Saturday from 11 a.m. until the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to the American Cancer Society, 130 Red Coach Dr., Mishawaka, IN 46545.
Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP, as well as at www.LakeviewFHC.com.