Paula Jane Booker (March 17, 1956 - March 28, 2024) Lawton, OK

LAWTON, Okla. - Funeral service for Paula Jane Booker will be 11 a.m. Thursday, April 4, 2024, in First Baptist West with Rev. Harold Gaches, pastor officiating.

Private family burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens under direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

The family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the funeral home.

Paula Jane (Pollina) Booker died on March 28, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the age of 68 years and 11 days. She was born to Louise (Trest) and Jasper Pollina in Lawton, Oklahoma on March 17, 1956.

Paula was the youngest of three children in the Pollina family and grew up in a time when kids ran freely through the neighborhood. Her Italian skin would get so dark playing outside all summer every day, all day long. Her family lived on 32nd Street and the stories would abound of the great family activities of going to the mountains for hikes and picnics, or trips to Grandma Trest's house in Cache. She loved to talk about her childhood.

Paula attended John Adams Elementary where she met Kim Carel when she was six and they have been lifelong friends. There was this new kid to the school named Stanley, who had a crush on her, but she never noticed him. After moving away and going to different junior high schools, they would meet again and Stan would be smitten by the beauty of this Eisenhower High School Pom Pom girl. He would drive by her house every chance he got trying to get up the courage to stop, or even to call. One day she was in the yard, but he did not have the courage to stop. She called him later and asked him why he did not.

That phone call, her calling him, in 1972 would begin a 52-year love story. Together they would graduate in 1974 and marry in 1975. In 1980 they would begin a family by adding a son to their love story. She almost gave her life to bring Brian James into this world. He would be flown to Mercy NICU, before Paula ever got to see him, and she would not be allowed to travel for two and a half weeks. Stan would bring Polaroid photographs back for her to admire. Once allowed to travel, she never left the hospital until he was released. She was a protective mother and more than once told Stan he was going overboard on discipline or the delegation of chores. But together they balanced each other out and Brian turned out to be a fine young man.

Paula was always deeply devoted to anything in which her family was involved. When Brian was in children's choir and Vacation Bible School in church, she always helped. In the church youth group she taught Sunday School. She was always involved in Brian's school activities, even when he was showing calves in FFA. She loved creating special memories at holidays, especially Christmas. Such as when the family would cut down their own Christmas tree and watch old Christmas movies. Special family time occurred at a multitude of opportunities for her, from lunch every week with Brian the last few years, to travel with Brian and Stan when Brian was young, and even going to Sicily with extended family and seeing the birthplace of her dad.

Brian would marry Allison Stone in 2015 and Julia would be born in 2017, and Anna in 2020. Paula would become Mimi, and her job was to spoil. She would often get on to Stan for buying the grand girls things that would spoil them, only to buy them even more herself. Paula would read them books and have tea parties. Whether on FaceTime or in person, it was always "Mimi read story". She loved that sound more than anything.

While Paula traveled when younger, she had a fear of flying that only got worse. It didn't help when the first airplane flight she got on that the seat belt came loose in her hand which led to white knuckles as she gripped the seat handles on takeoff. Then when the family had a plane trip to take, she would torture herself by watching airplane disaster movies. Later, after Brian grew up, she would refuse to travel when Stan wanted to vacation somewhere. But Stan would just get Brian to ask her to go on a vacation and she would always seem to give in for her son.

She announced after recent airline safety faults in the news, that she was not getting on an airplane again. At an earlier point in this story, Stan would buy a private plane, and she would manage to overcome her fears to fly with him, even once as far as Houston. She even took flying lessons. But she would announce when the plane was sold, that she was "relieved."

Paula accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. One day she handed Stan her hymnal and said, "I know what I have to do", walked to the front of the church and gave her life to Christ. She lived the life. Stan would say more than once, "Paula is the best example of Christ I have ever seen". Paula's story is a story of a loving wife, mother and grandmother who gave everything for her husband, son and granddaughters. They were her thoughts every day when she woke up and she was always in family mode. Paula was a very private and quiet person. She never talked about herself but would spend lots of time going over her prayer list praying for Stan, Brian, Allison and the girls, as well as other family and any other prayer need of which she was aware. Always praying for others.

Like any love story there were bumps, but faith and perseverance won out for a long rewarding life together. After 52 years of love and almost 49 years of marriage, Paula passed from this life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and brother, Trest Pollina. She is survived by her husband, Stan Booker, of the home; a son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Allison Booker, Edmond, Oklahoma; two granddaughters, Julia and Anna Booker; a sister and brother-in-law, Dr. Nancy Pollina Ford and her husband Dr. Joe Ford, Bellaire, Texas; as well as numerous other extended family.

Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, P.O. Box 5021, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5021.Top of Form

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