Coral Margaret Paul

She was a graduate of Girls High School in Atlanta in 1945 and attended art classes at the University of Georgia in Athens in 1946 and later at Georgia State University. With her husband Chris of 72 years they purchased 55 acres in DeKalb County and turned it into a home and gardens called Reverie (a figment of the imagination), where they raised their four daughters. Coral joined the Wesley Chapel Garden Club shortly after it was established in 1959. She held many offices including President and was a member until it disbanded. Over the years, she won many awards for flower arrangements, table settings, landscaping, door decorations, and she gave workshops and programs. She was the first person to win three blue ribbons for three flower designs in the DeKalb Federation Show held at Callanwolde, where she was an active member in the Fine Arts Center. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Garden Club of Georgia for several years. Coral was an internationally acclaimed artist. She was one of the founding members of the Atlanta Artist Club in 1967 in which she held the position of Vice President and the title of Merit Member in both painting and weaving. She won many awards with featured works in many Atlanta galleries and homes. She was also a member of the Chattahoochee Weavers Guild. She studied art under the late Katherine Comfort at Girls High who was a major influence in her life. The antique floor loom Coral used in her artwork was a gift from her teacher and was lovingly referred to as “K. C.” Some of her exhibitions included: Decatur Sesquicentennial Exhibit, Carrollton Regional Juried Art Exhibition, Roswell Arts Juried Festival, Atlanta Artists Club, Decorator Show House, Jubilee Southern Festival of the Arts, Savannah College of Art and Design, Callanwolde Art Shop and Christmas Exhibits, R. J. K. Gallery, Quinlin Art Gallery, Power Cross Roads Outdoor Show, and DeKalb Council Mardi Gras Juried Show, Toccoa Falls Visitor Center.

Coral and Chris designed and built their home using ideas from world renowned architect, Mr. Frank Lloyd Wright. Over the years, they have slowly built their home into the showplace it is today. The gardens include a Japanese tea house, an oriental style water garden, two Koi ponds, and three decks. Amid the gardens, trails, and rock walls visitors may encounter of over 1200 azaleas, thousands of daffodils, hundreds of Mahonia hollies, day lilies, rhododendrons, hydrangea, Iris, climbing roses, hostas, as well as many native trees, mountain laurels, and ferns.

Coral is preceded in death by her parents Burt and Laura Peters; two sisters, Doreen Franklin and Lemmah Downing; and brother, Howard Peters. She is survived by her childhood sweetheart and husband of 72 years, H. Chris Paul; daughters, Patricia Bernstein (David) of Snellville, GA, Paula Cook (Jim) of Roswell, GA, Pamela Mims (David) of Conyers, GA, and Priscilla Giella (Stephen) of Statesboro, GA; along with 13 grandchildren, Jeff and Christopher DiGanci, Lauren Pomarico, Tyler Cook, Kyle, Brandon, Zachary, and Conner Giella, Jason, Jarrett, and Jacob Mims, and Jessica Mims-Doyle, as well as 29 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews around the metro-Atlanta area, including in-laws Joe Paul (Jane), Christine Hurst (Ken), and Nancy Miller (Johnny). A memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, September 19, 2020, at Horis A. Ward Fairview Chapel, 376 Fairview Rd, Stockbridge, GA 30281 with a reception following at Reverie, 5129 River Rd, Ellenwood, GA. The family would like to express our thanks for the wonderful help and care given by Agape Hospice Care of Atlanta and especially Angel McGuire for her tireless and loving care of our mother.