Paula Naccari Wills

Paula Naccari Wills passed away on Sunday morning, November 30, 2014, at the age of 51. A resident of Baton Rouge, she grew up in New Orleans and graduated from Mt. Carmel Academy high school. She obtained a degree in education from LSU, Baton Rouge, and prior to marriage, was an elementary school teacher at St. Philip Neri School in Metairie. On June 17, 1989, she married the love of her life, Dr. Thomas Edward Wills of Baton Rouge. This past June, Paula and Tom celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They have two sons, Tyler Paul Wills, who is a sophomore at the University of Texas in Austin, and Grant Joseph Wills, who is a junior at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. Paula was a loving and devoted mother. She was a kind-hearted person, a faithful friend, and an attentive and fun-loving aunt to seven nieces and nephews. She had a sparkle in her eyes and an exuberant love of life, and she brought smiles and laughter to many, with her quick wit and great sense of humor. She always saw the goodness in the people around her and found joy in the every-day events of life. For many years, she has enjoyed cooking and hosting wonderful parties for friends and for her large extended family. All would attest to the warmth of her hospitality. In the past year, she has been an inspiration to her family with her strength and grace in battling illness and facing adversity. Paula was dearly loved by her husband and children, who will greatly miss her. She will always hold a special place in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. In addition to her husband and two sons, Paula is survived by her mother, Jerleen Davis Naccari. She is the beloved sister of Janelle Pugh, Lisa Keyes, Stephanie Farr, and Paul Francis Naccari, III, and the sister-in-law of George W. Pugh, Jr., George Anthony Keyes, Charles William Farr, and Douglas Eric Wills. She is the aunt of Marissa, Kristin, and Emily Annaloro, Meredith Pugh Rouse (and husband, Christopher Lamar Rouse), George W. Pugh, III, and Joshua and Allison Farr. She is preceded in death by her father, Dr. Paul Francis Naccari, Jr. and her mother-in-law, Dr. Lillian Ruth Hatcher Wills, and father-in-law, Dr. James P. Wills. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home (5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124) on Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until service time. Interment will follow in All Saints Mausoleum. To view and sign the guest book, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com