Paula Sue McDonald

Paula Sue McDonald passed away peacefully at the age of 77 on Monday, December 21, 2020, in Smith County, Tennessee, after a several-year struggle with Alzheimer’s. She is predeceased by her husband of twenty-six years, Victor McDonald, who passed in November 2020.

Paula was born in Huntington, West Virginia, on February 11, 1943, the only daughter of Aaron and Leona Cohen. She moved to Cincinnati in her twenties, where she met and married her first husband, Stan Rosenblatt. Though she and Stan divorced, they remained amicable and shared joy in their three children, Michael, David, and Amy. Paula will be remembered by friends and family as a caring and protective mother, wife, and friend, whose nurturing spirit was felt in all she did.

Paula earned her Bachelors in Social Work at the age of 53, and went on to earn a Masters in Social Work before spending several years assisting those in need in her Tampa, Florida community. Her strong will contributed to her success in such an emotionally demanding field, and was a trait she passed along to her children. Paula relished her role as a mother, and her children will cherish their memories of her, including their family road trip vacations, her love of their family dogs, and her inexplicable rules about random things, such as appropriate temperature ranges for wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

Paula is survived by her three children, Michael Rosenblatt (Marlene), David Rosenblatt (Meredith), and Amy Pickler (Chris), as well as her three granddaughters Julianne, Coralyn, and Claire. A graveside service will be held at noon on Wednesday, December 23, at Temple Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Due to Covid restrictions, the service will be limited to family only. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Jewish Federation of Nashville.