Paige Buechley

Paige was born on November 28, 1966 in Dayton, Ohio to parents Jacque and John Buechley. She was raised in Fort Worth, Texas where she graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1985 as Valedictorian, although she missed receiving the actual accolade in true Paige fashion (she did things on HER terms, not the school’s). Paige always lived life on her own terms! She later attended The University of Texas in Austin where she earned TWO Master degrees – an MBA from McCombs School of Business and Master of Public Affairs from Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Paige stayed in Austin and worked as a highly respected auditor for the state of Texas for 25 years. So, it is at this point in the obituary Paige would become bored with all these facts and figures. She would much rather tell you about her partner of 38 years, Chris Fountoulakis, who she married October 25, 2022 before retiring early and happily to El Paso (she loved El Paso and immediately volunteered picking up trash with the Sun City Pickers and served on the board of the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestra). She would show you photos of her beloved dogs Beanie and Cleo. She would tell you about her adopted family in Guatemala she visited countless times over the decades, helping them and their children (and now their children’s children). She would sing and dance to her favorite new Latin vocalist and encourage (demand?) you to join in. She would want to take you to her new favorite club, restaurant, or hot spot. Once there, she would instantly start making new friends, talking to anybody she found interesting. Paige made friends everywhere she went. Paige had a LOT of friends.

Although a “numbers person” working as an auditor in her professional life, Paige had a brilliant creative streak. She was always making things – paintings, colorful flower wreaths from coffee filters, exotic masks made from repurposed books, etc. And Paige LOVED dressing up in costumes! She wore the official Jimmy Neutron costume for a library program for kids. She dressed up as the official “Cool Top” cat character at a Dallas Mavericks game. She wore an amazing homemade glowworm costume for The Ant Bully movie premiere. She and her sister Kim dressed up to attend The Price is Right game show. One Thanksgiving, Paige even dressed up as a giant uncooked Butterball turkey and panhandled on a street corner to raise money for the needy (until she was stopped because she didn’t have a license – as I said, Paige did things on her own terms. But the policeman did have his picture taken with her before he shooed her away).

Paige was a force of nature. She was a BIG personality. And she was incredibly generous. Paige quietly supported countless good causes, including the Saint Louise House (serving homeless mothers and their children), Mother’s Milk Bank in Austin, Strongheart Fellowship (for young survivors of war), Liberty Youth Ranch (Florida), Austin Symphony, El Paso Symphony, Tacando Youth Symphony, UTRGV endowment program, and others. She enthusiastically collected art from local artists, paying them enough to make rent. She bought

out the theater for long-time friend Cori’s film premiere and gave the tickets away. She sent another friend’s children to summer camp, and arranged a life-changing college scholarship for an aspiring social worker from Africa to go to the university of his dreams.

She also did innumerable acts of service and kindness. She never missed cheering on her friend who ran the Austin Marathon annually, dancing on the sideline in her T Rex costume or other equally fabulous get up. She did more than one panicked friend’s taxes, she built the best chicken coop in West Africa for a Liberian residential youth center, she provided free housing for young Palestinian women in Austin on an exchange program, and she worked as part of “Team 13” - a civilian volunteer group that helped evacuate hundreds of at-risk Afghan women during the Taliban takeover. Most notably of all, she called her mother every day.

Paige was a unique character. Truly larger than life. For those who did not get the chance to know her, you have our sympathy.

Paige leaves behind her husband Chris, mother Jacque, sister Kim, sister-in-law Angela, brothers-in-law John and David, nephew Ryan, niece Paige, aunts and cousins (especially cousin Stacey with whom she was very close). And of course, a myriad of friends from literally all around the world, who almost all count her as their “best friend.” That world is now made less interesting in Paige’s absence. Fortunately, Paige has given us all a great gift of fun, funny, and inspiring memories to last the rest of our lives… and then some.

In lieu of flowers, send flowers to someone you love, just because. It’s what she would have done.