Paulette Chapman

1943 - 2020

Paulette Chapman was born on November 19, 1943 in Los Angeles to Robert and Martha Palmer. She spent her early years in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Leimert Park until moving to Belmont Shore in Long Beach when she was in 5?th? grade. She virtually grew up in "The Shore". During those years, she made many life-long friends from Rogers Junior High and Wilson High School. These friends were with her until the end. They enjoyed going to Catalina Island every summer for many years and they share fond memories of their time in Avalon. Paulette graduated from California State University - Long Beach in 1965 with a degree in Elementary Education and a teaching credential. She was a proud member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, where she continued to build friendships that she nurtured throughout her life. At CSULB she met her husband, Terry, and married in 1965. They enjoyed a long and happy marriage for 55 years. Upon graduation, she became one of the first teachers of the Head Start program in Long Beach and she enjoyed the children very much. In 1967, Paulette and Terry welcomed their daughter, Jamie, followed by sons Greg (1970) and Jeff (1975). In 1970, the family moved to San Marino where they lived and stayed in the Pasadena area to be closer to Terry's work in the insurance business. During these years, Paulette continued to serve children, not just her own. Paulette volunteered at all of her childrens' schools and you could find her around the campuses, supporting school nurses and librarians, serving as President of the Carver PTA (where she was recipient of the Golden Apple Award), scorekeeping at Little League games, and serving on many San Marino High School committees, including co-chairing Grad Night. She was a member of the National Charity League, San Marino Chapter and enjoyed the activities of NCL with her daughter. Through all of this work, Paulette continued to build close friendships with her colleagues, the parents of her childrens' friends, and students she encountered. As the kids left home for college, Paulette worked at her husband's office, sometimes supporting the young mothers at the firm with parenting tips and advice. Her co-workers were allowed to bring their children to work and Paulette could often be found rocking the infants, feeding them their bottles, or entertaining those in play pens. After working through the loss of her own parents and brother, Paulette became a bereavement counselor at Glendale Adventist Hospital, lending a kind ear and thoughtful advice to others during their grieving processes. During these years, she and Terry traveled extensively and spent a great deal of time relaxing at their vacation home on Catalina Island. Paulette developed Alzheimer's Disease in 2012 but lived the best life possible during her last years supported by her family, friends, and caregiver, Yadira Argueta. Through Paulette's life, she served those she cared for. She was a supportive mother and friend to her childrens' spouses. She loved spending time with friends, both old and new, especially on Catalina Island. She was a person whose kind smile and open heart was always ready to provide thoughtful counsel to those in need. Paulette was a loyal friend, compassionate advocate for those she cared for, and loving wife, mother, and proud "Grammy" to her 6 grandchildren..She leaves behind her husband Terry; her daughter Jamie and her husband Bobby Johnston, their daughter Harper; her son Greg and his wife Dr. Kristin Chapman, their children Reese, Luke and Nico; and her son Jeff and his wife Lisa Nicola, and their children Byrdie and Ryder. A celebration of Life will occur at a later date. Donations in Paulette's honor may be made to the San Marino Schools Foundation (1665 West Drive, San Marino, CA 91107) or the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org/give).