Paula Beth Paschal

Paula Smith Paschal passed away on January 26, 2026, in Dallas at the age of 84.

Paula was born on April 14, 1941, in Trinity, Texas, to Pauline (nee Inglish) and Clifton Smith and grew up in Beaumont, Texas. A born teacher, one of her fondest early memories was of her small kindergarten classroom, which she described as a warm, inviting space that encouraged learning and exploration. From that early experience grew her love of literature, history, and reading. After graduating from French High School in Beaumont in 1959, she fulfilled her girlhood dream of attending Baylor University. Paula loved every second that she was at Baylor, forging long-lasting friendships, enjoying collegiate hi-jinx, and pursuing a degree in Education, with a minor in History. She was a life-long supporter of the Baylor Bears, enjoying season tickets to Baylor football games for many years and avidly cheering on both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Later in life, Paula was active in the Baylor Women’s Council and proudly supported the Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor.

One particular reason why Baylor was so dear to her heart was that it is where she met the love of her life, James E. (“Jim”) Paschal in 1961 on a blind date. Her 1963 Baylor yearbook features the couple as one of a handful “couples about campus”, and the couple’s 62-year marriage bears witness to the durability of their love. After graduating with a BA in 1963, Paula married Jim on August 17, 1963. They moved to Dallas that year, where Paula launched her nearly 40-year career as an educator, first at Rosemont Elementary School in Oak Cliff and later at The Mary Boswell School and, for the last two decades, at Christ the King School.

Paula was truly a legendary teacher who knew how to command an audience and make learning accessible to students at all levels of ability. She inspired hundreds of elementary and middle school students to enjoy reading, be curious about the world, and achieve their academic best. Her teaching was infused with humor and playfulness, and no student was ever bored in her classroom. Paula didn’t just teach the curriculum; she taught her students not to be intimidated by difficult material, to gain personal confidence through learning, and how being interested in the world makes you interesting. One testament to the impact she had on her students was a reunion hosted by her Rosemont Elementary students when Paula was in her 80s, and her former students were in their late 60s. She was also a multi-year winner of Park Cities People’s “Favorite Private School Teacher” People’s Choice Award. Paula loved hearing from her former students, and it was impossible for her to go to NorthPark mall or out to dinner without running into a former pupil. She treasured these moments, and her family often joked about her local celebrity status.

While Paula was proud of her teaching career, her greatest accomplishment was being a mother to her daughter, Evangeline, whom, fittingly for a literature lover, she named after a Longfellow poem. Many people were struck by the uncanny physical resemblance between mother and daughter, but their mutual sympathies ran much deeper. Paula was her daughter’s biggest cheerleader and close confidante. She instilled in her daughter a love of fashion, classic movies, clever banter, and poetry, and encouraged her to “dream big.” Her greatest lesson, though, was instructing her in the Christian faith. As a 60-plus year member of First Baptist Church Dallas, Paula taught her daughter the importance of making Christ the center her life-journey. She enjoyed engaging in theological conversations, including with the Catholic clergy at Christ the King when she taught there. Paula was a 17-year survivor of breast cancer, and her faith sustained her through that and many other of life’s trials.

After retirement, Paula continued to share her teaching gifts by occasionally giving talks on historical topics as varied as the Kennedy family and George Armstrong Custer and his wife. She was a member of the Park Cities Club and member and former President of the Lyceum Club. She was also a member of the Ermance Club, Seneca Club, Thursday Night Book Club, and the Lakeside Browning Club, where for several years she entertained club meetings with a “Browning Moment,” which became a meeting highlight.

Paula is survived by her husband James and her daughter Evangeline Paschal, who lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, William Field II. She is also survived by her sister, Candice Hembree, of Bonham; niece, Cortney Miller, of Sherman; and the hundreds of her former students, whom she treasured in her heart.

A memorial service is pending at this time. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory can be made to the Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University. “God’s in his heaven – All’s right with the world!” - Robert Browning