Paula Ellis White

Paula was born the first child of Eurita and JB Ellis in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Veterans Day, 1953. Her family later moved to Louisville with her younger sister Laun-Nene and brother James Boyd. She attended Jefferson County schools before matriculating at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Paula graduated with a BSN and returned to Louisville to begin her nursing career at Jewish Hospital where she made friendships that endured throughout her lifetime.

Despite warnings to ‘stay away from those soldiers,’ Paula married one stationed at nearby Fort Knox on New Years Day 1983. They remained devoted to each other for more than 43 years. Paula and Jeff welcomed the birth of their daughter, Erika during their first assignment at Fort Bragg. As an army wife, she cheerfully moved her family to Gainesville, Florida and then to Monterey, California.

In 1986, her young family moved to Santiago, Chile and Paula was suddenly immersed in an entirely new culture and lifestyle during turbulent times in that country. She knew almost no one and arrived speaking very little Spanish. But, as always, Paula made friends quickly and, expecting a second child, she was warmly welcomed into a new circle of wives and mothers. Paula was an unassuming and gracious example of the heartland of America.

Now,with a baby boy, she began another chapter at Fort Hood, an isolated army post in central Texas where she adapted to life as an army wife with enthusiasm managing the home during her soldier husband’s frequent deployments.

Soon, the young family returned to Latin America and adapted to life in Panama. With children just starting school, Paula was able to return to nursing and delighted in her work as a community health nurse at Gorgas Army Hospital. She established an immediate rapport with young mothers imparting skills and giving them confidence in caring for their babies.

Instead of returning to the US at the end of that tour, Paula moved her family farther south to Argentina and the challenges of adapting to yet another unfamiliar society in Buenos Aires. Again she quickly made friends and moved comfortably in new and unaccustomed circles. Once again, bonds of friendship made there endured for the rest of her life.

After living in six states and four countries on two continents, she was finally able to buy her first home near her sister in Cary and visit with her mom and dad back in Kentucky and her brother in Indiana. Travel had been exciting but Paula was content to settle down at last. Finally, she was able to proudly watch Erika and Jeffery Paul graduate from Apex High School, earn their own professional degrees and embark on successful careers. Again, a wide circle of friends embraced Paula and she was able at long last to shop and decorate to her heart’s content.

But she so much wanted to be a grandma. She got her wish when Corbin was born five years ago followed by Dean two years later. Then, last summer, Paula received a devastating diagnosis of the disease that would eventually take her life. She underwent surgery, then chemotherapy and radiation treatments to keep the disease at bay and stubbornly battled its effects long enough to me Erik, her third grandson and make many happy memories for the boys to cherish.

As the disease inexorably took its toll on her, many friends that Paula met over the years traveled to comfort her and to share fond memories. Finally, in the quiet morning hours of August 6, 2026 Paula slipped away and dying peacefully with her family at her bedside. She is with our Lord and is reunited with her mom and dad where there is no pain or sorrow where one day she will be joined by her family and friends who love her so much.

Paula is survived by her husband, Jeffery, a daughter Erika Harbert, son Jeffery Paul White, three grandsons and her sister Laun-Nene Ellis Hyzak all of Cary, North Carolina and her brother James Ellis of Carmel, Indiana.