Pauline Paille

Sadly, Pauline Paille, 83, of Pembroke, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at home on December 23, 2024, surrounded by close family. Pauline and her twin brother Paul were born on October 27, 1941, to Anthony and Antoinette Smith in Worcester, Massachusetts. She lived in Florida for a short time with her family, and that is where she discovered her love of the beach.

She was accepted at the Rhode Island School of Design and attended the art program at Concord College. Ultimately, she pursued her Associate in Arts degree at Worcester Junior College while taking additional courses at the Worcester Art Museum. She also attended Tufts University in Boston and started her career as a dental assistant.

She met the love of her life, Norman Paille Jr., while attending Worcester Junior College, and they later married on June 6, 1964. They bought their first home in Millbury, where they had their daughter, Patricia, in 1966. They later moved to Oxford and had a second daughter, Michele, in 1968. Their family was completed with the birth of a son, Norman Paul, in 1976.

Pauline worked many years in the dental field before starting a business with her sister, Kathleen Thompson. Their first venture was Insurance Forms Services, which they ran for several years before buying a florist shop together.

They ran Flowers by Harriet for over seven years, initially in Worcester and then in Auburn, Massachusetts. The florist shop was a family venture that included the help of their children, spouses, aunts, and uncles and led to many new friendships and lots of laughs.

Pauline had a life-long passion for art. She loved being creative and explored different ways to express herself, including cake decorating, flower arranging, photography, and oil painting. For many years, she kept an easel set up in her living room so that she could paint whenever the mood struck. Her dream of having her art shown was realized in 2006 with a joint showing with her granddaughter, Ava.

Pauline and Norman were happily married for over 50 years. They loved to spend time with family and friends and travel. One of their favorite adventures was a one-month excursion through Italy. They rented apartments in various locations, including Rome.

After Norman's passing in 2015, Pauline relocated to Pembroke to live with family. While she missed him deeply, she joined the Pembroke Council on Aging shortly after moving and forged many new friendships. She was especially fond of her whist gang, hosted many raucous card games and outings, and even traveled to Iceland together.

Throughout her life, she maintained a special bond with her sister, Kathleen. They traveled together extensively and spoke to each other every day. More recently, they connected by having weekend sleepovers and binge-watching Netflix.

Pauline is survived by her three children, Patricia Baba and her husband Chris Baba, Michele Hanson and her husband Scott Hanson, and Norman Paillle, her sister, Kathleen Thompson, her three grandchildren, Ava Johnson, Joshua Baba, and Sebastien Baba and many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are welcome to join us for a celebration of life ceremony on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at First Church in Pembroke,105 Center St., at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow immediately after the service at the family residence. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Pembroke Council on Aging Gift Fund.