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1933
2017
Paulene Ann White, 83, left us just before dawn May 23, 2017 with a chorus of birds singing and her family by her side as she went to join her Lord and Savior.
She was born in Fort Wayne, Oct. 22, 1933, the daughter of George Raymond Beeler and Helen Hitchcock Beeler. She obtained a BSN degree from Cornell School of Nursing in New York City. She met and married her life partner, Gilbert Leighton White in Cleveland, Ohio. They relocated with their three children to Columbia City and purchased a Western Auto Store in 1968. The store became a fixture in this small community and eventually transitioned to a True Value Hardware. Paulene worked hard and was the backbone of the day-to-day operations of the business that she and Gil ran for 27 years. She cherished the friend connections she made through her work in the store, her church and other community activities. She and Gil relocated to Olympia, Wash., to be closer to family in 2007, but Columbia City remained her "heart-home." She lived the last 10 years of her life in Olympia, where she and Gil enjoyed many special times with family and a close community of friends from Vista Village and Brookdale.
Paulene found her greatest joy in loving, caring for and serving others. From her early years working as a nurse, to her passion for helping customers find exactly what they needed for a home project, to her many hours of volunteer service in hospice and end-of-life care in both Indiana and Olympia, to the tea parties that she lovingly offered to people who needed a little TLC, Paulene was always there to lend a helping hand and listening ear. Paulene loved talking to and spending time with her children and grandchildren, walking in nature, water aerobics, country music, NFL and college football and was so grateful that she got to see all her grandchildren grow up.
Paulene is survived by her daughters, Laura Dahmer-White, of Olympia, Wash., Dianne White, of Freiburg, Germany; son, Kenneth White, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; sons-in-law, Paul Dahmer, of Olympia, Wash., and Tassilo Schneider, of Freiburg, Germany; and grandchildren, Clara, Veronika and Sebastian.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert; siblings and her parents.
A memorial service to celebrate Paulene's life will be held at Lacey Presbyterian Church Tuesday, May 30 at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation in Paulene's name to the Hospice Program at Providence St. Peter Foundation. To read more about Paulene's life or share memories, visit www.funeralalternatives.org.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Sponsored by Funeral Alternatives of Washington - Centralia.
2 Entries
Wonderful personality. Used to take me, Dianne, and Mitch Ford to Nursery School and Kindergarten. I'm sorry about our loss
Rodney Tripcony
Friend
May 27, 2017
Condolences to the family. May you find peace and strength during this difficult time. Psalm 29:11.
May 27, 2017
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