Paula Kay King
February 8, 1954 - May 22, 2022
Obituary
Paula Verdi King went to be with the Lord on Sunday, May 22. She was born on Feb. 8, 1954. She had suffered a long illness.
Paula had fond memories of being a kid. She loved to camp, listen to music, and loved her horse, Penny. She had many friends in school. She attended Central Washington University. She then had several small businesses including windshield glass sales and later doing high school reunions, many for her alma mater, Glacier High School. Through that business, Paula stayed in touch with hundreds of people from Glacier and reported on how Glacier grads were doing in the world. They relied on her for information on old friends and she had many of them as friends.
Paula was fun loving and gregarious with a sweet, vivacious demeanor who loved to engage in conversation as a one-on-one or with a gaggle of friends and (friendly) foe alike in numerous topics from family life to noteworthy life events around the globe. Her greatest achievement and talent was her ability to communicate through words. She wrote several short autobiographical stories that mesmerized the reader by opening the readers senses and tapping into the imagination of her world and reality through descriptive words and syntax, so much that the reader in the moment has melted away the day to day into a distant realm.
She shared with her husband Mike the joy of cooking and with a heavenly palate often would invite a few close friends to her wonderful home to share in their creative gourmet culinary delights for a great time with food, drink and conversation. The desserts were bar none the best!
Paula had a soft loving heart with a strong outer core of audaciousness which equates to love and kindness to all who walked in her pathway of life. If Paula was in your life, it was a bonus.
She will be missed by so many people. We will miss her personality, humor and caring. She was a believer in Jesus Christ and we know she is with him now and living the real life we all should look forward to.
Paula was preceded in death by her two infant sons, Colton and Hunter, and her father, Dominic (Nitch) Verdi.
She is survived by her beloved husband Mike King, Seattle, her Daughter Chandra Arellano, Chandler, Arizona, her mother Shirley Verdi, Scottsdale, Arizona, and her brother Craig Verdi of Boise, Idaho. She is also survived by her half sister, Sharee Pierce, Ellensburg, Washington.
A celebration of life is being planned for sometime this summer.
Thank you for the wonderful synopsis of Paula’s life. Though I’m sure countless other people knew her better than I did, I still considered her to be a good friend. I enjoyed conversation with her and was refreshed many times listening to her opinions and input on life’s joys and trials. She was a very real person. Those are the kind I am attracted to the most. Honest and sincere, and always loving even when it was hard to love. May she rest in peace and may all of her friends remember the good times. I’m thankful Paula was part of my life. Happy she is in the arms of her savior and I’m looking forward to seeing her again down the road. In another life of course.
Paula you touched so many lives, I will miss you and our connection of families ❤️
Paula – I was honored to call you Friend❤️
I loved the many conversations we have had over the years, your opinions and insight on all things in this world were always spot on
You were an amazing force in life as I am sure you are right now in Heaven
I will love you for always and will remember the Matriarch of Glacier High School as the Glue that kept us all together
You will be missed . but will be forever remembered
Love to you our one and only Paula ❤️
Dear Mike and Family,
I met Paula in elementary school. I was the girl who fell into the pool filter:).
Over the decades I didn’t talk with Paula on a daily basis or even see her frequently yet, when we talked, we picked up right where we left off – whether we were discussing our lives in current time or taking a stroll down memory lane.
Over time Paula’s Facebook groups became a place to share the joy and sorrow of our classmates and friends. I know Paula derived great pleasure from keeping people connected and that the reunion business was her calling, whether she was formally organizing a gathering, or adding and keeping up with people on Facebook.
Mike and Chandra, I know you were both a huge part of making the reunions a success, always in the background supporting Paula, our class of 1972, and all Glacier classes. Thank you.
As I sleepwalk through the days since Paula left, I am stricken by how big a hole she left in my life. She was a gale force wind. A tornado stirring things up wherever she touched down. The sorrow in my heart won’t soon be mended.
Lorri Robbins Cox
Paula was such a blessing with the responsibility of keeping all Glacier High School students together for class reunions. You will be forever in our hearts and memories. Class of 1972 rules🥰
Debra Ward
Paula my sweet, fun, sassy friend. I will so miss you more than I can ever explain. I wish we would have lived closer. I will miss your smile and your quick wit. I am still numb from your passing. We have lost a true icon. Love you my friend. Rest in the hands of the lord.
Beautiful human doing. Thank you for all you did for us as Glacier grads..much love to your family, God bless you Paula.
Tell mom and Christina I said, “hi.”
God speed on your journey. You are missed here already.
Word can not say enough about you and what you have created while here. You have help so many people including me. You are irresponsible. Miss you so much Paula. Please tell Jimmy hi. Love you ❤️
So sorry for your loss.
You have done your job, now it passes on to someone else so you can RIP. You will be missed
Paula was a gal whose name I had known (because of her undeniable popularity) from hearing it mentioned at Glacier Highschool (class of 81) even after she had graduated. I know her and we would have connected back in the day and become more than just FB friends. I came to admire her loyalty and lifelong “school spirit” she clearly had residing within her. What a treasure all of these years with her leading the way and volunteer all her skills, kindness and dedication to the Glacier Memorial page. She is missed and clearly always will be.
We hadn’t seen each other in a long time and when we did it was like yesterday. Next time we’ll see each other on the other side. I love you!
Was devastated to hear of my cousins passing. Her brother Craig and I share a birthday. She was my Maid of honor at my wedding. Our family has not stayed close the way we were when we were all kids sharing partys, holidays, and family occasions. She was very funny and I loved my many visits back to Washington. She was a go getter and free spirit. I’m sorry I didn’t know she had been sick for so long. Hope I can keep my many memories of fun things we did when younger. She will be missed by many. Love you Paula
I’m so sorry Shirley. As you said, the usual order of things just shouldn’t be reversed.
You will be missed more than you would have believed. 🤗