Paula Grace Spilman, born 9:10am on October 17, 1957 at Prince George’s General Hospital, Cheverly, Maryland, to parents Gerald & Gloria (Vale) Mitchell.
She was a loving sister to siblings, Craig, Andrew, Marianne, Christopher and Eleanor.
Paula found her great love, Wayne, at St. Margarets Elementary “in pre-school”, as Wayne said.
After graduating high school as salutatorian from La Reine Catholic High School in Washington, DC, they were wed at the age of 18, foregoing secondary education to set up house and become caretakers to siblings.
Shortly into marriage, she and Wayne started their family and she became a mother.
Matthew Landon, Janelle Celeste, Carolyn Ann, Mark Anthony, and Christian Patrick would become their whole lives.
She was a champion Mom; celebrating the diverse interests of five children.
When her youngest was old enough, she started work.
She served as a part-time assistant to pre-school at St. Francis school in Clearfield, a natural fit after many years of support in various fundraising and volunteering efforts there.
She would build many lasting friendships within the community that remain today.
When extra income became a need for her growing family, she took on a role with the Penn State Cooperative Extension – helping children and underprivileged families learn how to eat, nourish, and grow plants.
Her yearning to learn never ended, as her work evolved and she took a position as activities coordinator with Ridgeview Elder Care in Grampian.
She earned her way to a supervisory role and spent nearly 15 years caring for residents, entertaining them and honing her skills in dementia and Alzheimer’s care.
She was an integral part of forming a first ever “snoozilin’ room” – offering sensory support to dementia patients.
In 2016 when her husband passed, she brought herself closer to home, taking a post as activities coordinator for Dubois Village Continuum of Care Community.
Her love of resident care was as contagious as ever and improved the quality of life for many, extending into the greater community.
She spent her life loving, giving, caring, sharing, learning and growing.
She welcomed two new daughters in law Robin (Brown) Spilman and Kaitlyn (Fitzgerald) Spilman, and one son in law Steven Affeltranger.
She would be blessed to become “Nonni”, her chosen moniker, to her grandchildren; Gideon, Campbell, Avery and Hattie.
She worshipped this role and they worshipped her as she lived for FaceTime calls and trips to Texas to visit and play with them.
She loved her free time in the garden, walking the dog, pruning plants and tending her roses.
She also loved her morning coffee ritual, a past time shared with Wayne, and watching the birds visit in her new windows, on continual lookout for those stunning cardinals.
She always found pleasure in the small things – humble and gracious, she would under estimate her worth to all living things.
She was and shall remain one of the most passionate, selfless human beings to ever walk the planet.
There will be no public visitation.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, January 10, 2022 at 10 am from St. Francis Roman Catholic Church in Clearfield with Father Brandon Kleckner as celebrant.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Francis School, 230 S. 2nd Street, Clearfield, PA 16830 and/or DuBois Central Catholic School, PO Box 567, DuBois, PA 15801.
The Baronick Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc. is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences can be sent to www.baronickfuneralhome.com.
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