PAULA CARTWRIGHT

CARTWRIGHT
PAULA (GATTO)
Of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, formerly of Pittsburgh and Dormont, died at the age of 87, after a brief illness. Beloved wife of Tom, and loving mother of Dr. Rex Gatto (Mickey), Jeff Cartwright, Chris Cartwright (Marie), Randall Cartwright, deceased (Linda), and stepson, Tommy Cartwright; grandchildren, Shawn Gatto, Maura Gatto Cermak (Jeff), Sarah Cartwright, Andrew Cartwright, Rebecca Kate Cartwright and Mya Lani; and over 20 step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Music was Paula's soul and she was born to perform. At age 11, she sang at the dedication of the Italian Room at the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt. She continued her musical journey throughout her life, singing with the Pittsburgh Opera for more than 25 years in countless solo roles and as a chorister. During the 50s and 60s, she also sang in many venues, performing operatic arias and pop songs. In recent years, she performed in nursing homes, singing popular songs from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. She gave her last performance in November of 2016. She recorded a CD at age 85, which included operatic solos such as Vissi d'arte from Tosca. She dedicated her life to her musical passion, bringing joy to countless audiences through her angelic soprano voice. She loved Sunday brunch with family and taking selfies to send to all of the relatives. She lived life in deep faith, always saying, "keep the angels with you." A memorial Mass will be held at St. Bernard's Church in Mt. Lebanon, February 18, 2017, at 10 a.m., followed by interment in Mt. Lebanon Cemetery.