Paula West Brenneman

December 3, 1939 – May 16, 2021

Paula Brenneman of Bethesda, MD died peacefully at home on May 16, 2021 surrounded by family. She was 81 years old.

Paula was born Dec. 3, 1939 in Corsicana, TX, the daughter of Emily Vay Bellah and Paul Elihue West. Vay’s second marriage to Buster “Buck” Ely (Master Sergeant, US Army) brought a much beloved stepfather into Paula’s life. She graduated in 1957 from Lawton Senior High School in Lawton, OK with a Commercial Certificate and was already proficient in shorthand, which she made daily use of for the balance of her life. High school activities and interests included: National Honor Society, Latin Club, Wolverettes Pep Club, Tri-Hi-Y, Office Club, Girls Recreation Association, Future Homemakers of America, Elvis Presley and James Dean.

After high school Paula attended Cameron College, passed the Civil Service Examination, and worked at US Army Fort Sill before heading east in 1959 to pursue her dreams. Landing in New York City, she worked briefly as a model and a legal secretary before moving to Washington, DC in 1960 and beginning her long career as an executive assistant at Covington & Burling, supporting senior partners Joel Barlow (1960-1972), Thor Halvorson (1972-1979) and Alfred Moses (1989-2011). She then followed Mr. Moses to Promontory Financial Group, where she worked until 2021. She was renowned for her integrity, efficiency, kindness, generosity, total command of any situation and wicked sense of humor.

A great fan of jazz, Paula was close friends with Charlie Byrd and Keter Betts, among many other Washington jazz legends. She was present on the opening night of Blues Alley in Georgetown, 1965.

Paula’s commitment to her family and friends was a central tenet of her life. In 1971, she married George Vincent “Mike” Brenneman, Jr.; after helping to raise her two younger brothers, she was well equipped to meet the challenge of becoming an instant stepmother to four teenagers. The couple moved to Clearwater, FL at the time of their marriage before returning to the Washington, DC area permanently in 1973. In 1977 Paula gave birth to daughter Laura. A loving and endlessly encouraging mother, she coached youth sports, drove carpool at Indy speeds and gamely converted a long succession of Cadillacs into traveling locker rooms. She never missed a game.

Paula was an active and long-time member of Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, MD, where she played a mean round of golf, winning club championships in 1986 and 1991 and the senior women’s club championship in 2007. Among many other distinctions, in 2005 Paula scored holes-in-one on consecutive days at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV.

Survivors include brother James Ely (Mary), sister-in-law Rita West, brother-in-law Arthur Renfro; daughter Laura Brenneman (Victoria); stepchildren Bruce Brenneman (Alice), Mark Brenneman (María Elena), Dale Brenneman (Arthur Vokes), Dean Brenneman (Márika); six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and five nephews and nieces. Paula was predeceased by beloved husband G. V. Brenneman, Jr., brother Samuel West, and sister Brenda Renfro.

A memorial service will take place on Friday June 18, 2021 at Chevy Chase United Methodist Church, 7001 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase MD, at 11:00 AM. The service will be live-streamed on the church's YouTube page for those unable to attend in person: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3RV-Rd0YDhVyCOUEgyq5pQ/videos. A reception will follow at Columbia Country Club, 7900 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase MD. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850.