Mary T. Paulin

Mary Paulin was a wife, mother, world traveler, skier, sailor, and founder of ArtWorks, an adult day program that uses art to teach adults with disabilities life skills and self expression. She died early Thursday morning at her home in Tucson with her husband of 38 years, Robert Paulin at her side. She was 91 years old.

Mary was born on February 20, 1925 in Lansing Michigan, but has made Tucson her home ever since reconnecting with her childhood sweetheart in 1978. Along the way she was a model for Marshall Fields, a secretary for an army general during World War Two, a graduate of Purdue University, a mother of three children, a Cub Scout and Brownie leader, and a high school art teacher.

She wasn't much of a cook, but she sure could dance.

Her travels took her to all seven continents and most of the Earth's islands. She and her husband Bob were among the first Americans allowed to travel to China in the 1970's, where her tall figure and blonde hair drew curious crowds wherever she went. Her favorite trip, she said, was to Antarctica where she walked among the seals and penguins.

But her favorite place in the world was the home she and Bob built in the Catalina foothills and named Las Nubes. She was always happy to return to it from wherever she had been, and vowed to live out her life in the home she loved. By sheer force of will she achieved that final goal Thursday morning.

When not traveling Mary's passion became Art Therapy. Based on her years as a high school art teacher, she saw visual arts as a way for severely disabled persons to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Her efforts before the state legislature resulted in Arizona becoming one of the first states in the country to require art therapy training as part of a special education teaching certificate.

In 1984 she and Sister Jeannne Carrigan founded ArtWorks. It started out as a van filled with art supplies that travelled the city bringing opportunities for self expression to people who had none. Today it has grown to a three building campus that serves clients with a wide variety of mental disabilities and autism. In 1994 it's operation was taken over by the University of Arizona, and today ArtWorks is part of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UA College of medicine.

Mary is survived by her husband, Bob Paulin, her three children, Tom Schachte, Katie Rotzell, and Bob Schachte, her three step children, Dora Bursey, Peter Paulin, and Terry Ornstein, and twelve grandchildren. She will be desperately missed.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 15th at 10:30 at the Catalina foothills church located at 2150 East Orange Grove Road in Tucson. A reception will follow from12:30 to 3:00 at the Skyline Country Club. The family requests that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to ArtWorks at 1509 East Helen Street Tucson AZ 85719.