Mary Elizabeth "May" Paul

Mary Elizabeth Paul, "May," entered heaven on 26 June 2015 at the age of 95. The stories she told captivated so many with her unforgettable "Joisey" accent and expressions like "get outta here" or "down yonda." May's positive attitude and willingness to share her life with others made her a great companion and friend to so many. Known for taking the bus and for pushing her shopping cart from her apartment to the grocery store on senior discount days, May never drove a car or even had a driver's license. She always left people with the parting words, "be careful drivin." May also was an "extreme couponer" long before it became popular-she may have even invented the concept-and always knew where the best deals could be found. Her faith was strong and she was a lifelong time member of the Episcopal Church. She also was a member of the order of the Eastern Star since 1985. She will be remembered most of all for her determination, faith, spirited nature, and her incredible story-telling ability. Daughter of two Irish immigrants who met on a boat on their way to America, May was born on March 21, 1920 and grew up in New Jersey. She met her husband, Eddy, on a summer's day at the Jersey shore. She worked in downtown New York City, probably where she acquired her sense of style and fashion. She then moved to Philadelphia with Eddy, where they had two children and she worked in traffic court as a clerk. May and Eddy retired in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, not far from where they had met many summers prior, and was an active member of St Mary's by the Sea Episcopal Church. May moved to Baton Rouge 15 years ago, where she quickly made friends and adapted to eating crawfish and enjoying the milder winters. She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church. She is preceded in death by her husband, Edward Harold Paul, and her parents Harriet and Samuel McLaughlin. Her spirit is carried on by her son and daughter-in-law, Harold Paul and Margaret Marshall; her daughter and son-in-law, Arlene and Kenneth Jablonsky; her grandchildren, Audrey Mercurio, Christopher Paul, Kevin Jablonsky, and Brian Jablonsky; her dearest companion in the last few years of her life Ms. Hazel Johnson; her friends; and all those whose lives she touched with her stories, her wisdom, and her kindness. Visitation will be on Monday, June 29, 2015, from 2pm until 4pm at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government Street, followed by a funeral service at Trinity Episcopal Church. Burial will be in Westfield, NJ at Fairview Cemetery.