Pauline (Papacalos) Hager

Pauline was born in the small town of Clinton, Massachusetts, to George Apostolos (Paul) Papacalos and Vasiliki (Meracoulias) Papacalos, both immigrants from Greece. Known as Potoula to her Greek family and friends, Pauline grew up as the youngest child in a household with four older brothers. Her mother died when Pauline was only five years old, so Pauline was raised by her father, brothers and large extended family. Three of her brothers served in World War II and, miraculously, all returned safely. Pauline graduated from Clinton High School in 1949.

After the war, her brothers settled in the Los Angeles area. After visiting her brother Johnny in Long Beach in 1951, Pauline caught the West Coast bug and soon moved to the Los Angeles area as well. While working a clerical job at Atomics International and living in Long Beach, she met her husband to be, Eugene Randolph (Randy) Hager. Randy was tall and lanky and not Greek, but the two fell in love and married on November 17, 1956, in Long Beach with the blessing of both of their somewhat skeptical families.

Randy’s job as a draftsman and budding nuclear engineer took them to San Diego the next year, where their first son Christopher (Chris) was born in 1958. Pauline worked part-time and raised Chris while Randy worked full-time at General Atomics and studied for his engineering degree. Son, Barry, was born in 1963. After several years in San Diego, Randy’s job with G.A. moved the family to New Jersey, then to the small town of Aiken, South Carolina. Pauline decided to pursue her dream of obtaining a college degree, and she enrolled in the University of South Carolina (the other USC). After several years of driving back and forth from Aiken to the main university campus in Columbia and attending classes at an extension campus in Aiken, Pauline earned her B.A. in English in 1975 at age 44, all while raising two sons.

With Randy’s assignment in the South completed, the family moved back to San Diego in 1975, settling in La Jolla. Pauline worked part-time as a substitute teacher for a few years, then took various jobs, including working for the Copley Press as an editor of the Borrego Sun, serving as an administrative assistant for a real estate firm, and even acting as a real estate agent for a time. But Pauline’s real love was writing.

Randy took early retirement from G.A. in1989 but was lured back to work on an international fusion energy research project in Japan. The couple moved to Naka, Japan, in 1994 where they lived for almost three years. While Randy worked, Pauline taught English as a second language and made many Japanese and international friends. The birth of their first grandson in 1995 drew them back to the States. After returning from Naka, Pauline wrote her first book, Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan, published by Infinity Publishing. That was followed by a second book, Georgi’s Greek Tragedy, an historical novel.

Pauline and Randy travelled extensively in retirement, with trips to Europe, China, Thailand, a return to Japan, and adventures around the U.S. Pauline enjoyed hosting visits and visiting with friends and family, including friends from Japan and her East Coast friends and family. To her sons, Pauline was a loving, caring mother who always encouraged and looked out for them.

Pauline was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which slowly stole her wonderful memories, but couldn’t take away her loving nature and self-deprecating sense of humor. She is survived by husband, Randy, their sons, Chris and Barry, daughter-in-law Hilary, and grandsons, Stephen and Dylan. Pauline was preceded in death by her older brothers, Paul, Johnny, Peter and Danny. Pauline had a caring heart and was deeply loved by family and friends.

Interment will be with El Camino Memorial Park, San Diego, CA. A celebration of her life will be held on a future date, to be determined.