Maria T. Paul

Maria Paul, of Temple Terrace, Florida passed away on Thursday, June 25, 2020 at the Melech Hospice House. She was born on January 8, 1947 in Hanau, Germany, to Max and Zoja Tellis, and immigrated to the United States with her family on June 8, 1949.

Maria had a rich international experience and spoke five languages. She studied Foreign Languages at the University of New Hampshire where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in 1968, She lived in Istanbul, Turkey for ten years and taught German to Turkish students at Robert College.

She received her Master of Education degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1985, where she met her husband, Jim Paul. They were married in Temple Terrace, Florida March 4, 1989.

Maria held positions in the international student office at the University of North Carolina and the Duke University Law School Alumni Office. She worked closely with the Chair of the Department of Secondary Education at USF and coordinated the Second Language Acquisition and Instructional Technology (SLA/IT) doctoral program. She later moved to the Dean’s office as Faculty Assistant to the Dean where she continued to work as part of this interdisciplinary second language academic community with students from around the world until she retired in 2010.

Like her mother and sister, she was an artist. She enjoyed healthy cooking and Taoist Tai Chi.

Maria had a generous spirit and her life was filled with grace and gestures of kindness that added value to all of the communities of which she was a part. Everyone who knew her appreciated her dignity and genuine goodness. She was deeply devoted to her family and remains a treasured presence in the hearts and lives of her family and large community of friends. She made us grateful for every day.

Maria was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Susanne Quinn. She is survived by her loving husband of 31 years, Jim Paul; son, Scott Paul; daughter, Margaret Gail Lawrence and husband Michael; three grandchildren, James Lawrence, Zachariah Paul, and Joseph Lawrence; nephew, Adam Quinn and his children, Oona and Indus Quinn; and her beloved dog, Sandy.

In lieu of flowers the family is asking for donations to be sent to Metropolitan Ministries or Save the Children.