KRAUS, Paula Willmot
Paula Willmot Kraus, much loved and loving wife, wonderful mother, and awesomely hip and nurturing grandmother, who was born on April 5, 1957, passed away on Nov. 4, 2023.
A catastrophic stroke and brain hemorrhage suddenly ended her all-too-brief life.
Paula was a true joy, a gift to the world – to know her was to love her. A talented and award-winning artist, educator and lover of nature, her creativity and energy knew no bounds. Her love showered unreservedly on everyone through her inventive and health-conscious meals (carrot taco, anyone?), her remarkable photography, her willingness to lend a hand to anyone who needed a boost, and to the causes that fueled her vigor: the environment, equality and social justice. Paula and her husband, Fred, also supported and participated in the local and larger arts community, attending all manner of events and hosting house concerts in their home.
Paula found the light of her own life with her family, which was a love affair without bounds. Her husband, son, daughter-in-law and grandsons basked in the ever-warm glow that was Paula.
Paula enjoyed all manner of outdoor activities, from hiking to biking, from canoeing to waterskiing. Her favorite places in Dayton were the MetroParks and bike trails. She loved a good project, whether it was creating brick and stone walkways, landscaping, or simply problem-solving at any level. She was also a competitive athlete in high school, holding several records for swimming. One example of her versatility, as a 12-year-old member of the youth softball team, The Petticoats, she smashed a home run over the fence during the annual Fourth of July All Star Game in Zelienople, PA.
Remarkably, Paula pursued her zest for life despite decades of battles with various health issues, which she overcame without complaint, and with grace and beauty. If a choice came to move forward or to rest and recuperate, Paula invariably chose the more active path. She lived her life as if each day might be her last. After a nine-hour open heart surgery operation in 2015, she spurred her recovery process so that she would be able to dance at the wedding of her son, Max, and his wife, Kristin. Paula remarkably made it to their dance floor and has been dancing ever since.
As kind and even-tempered as Paula was, she would stand up for anyone or anything that she felt was unjust. And despite her considerable artistic achievements she remained humble, sweet and diligent. “If you can’t get along with Paula,” the family saying went, “you can’t get along with anyone.” It was so true.
To say that Paula was project-oriented would be an understatement of the highest degree. She found nature endlessly fascinating and inspiring. Collections of found treasures populated her home, garage and yard. They were all destined for photo projects, but as one project would be completed, two more would be initiated.
Her passion for her art infused her view of the world, a world that she celebrated and rejoiced every day of her life. Her widely exhibited fine art photography emerged as visual poetry – her evocative images allowed and prompted the viewer to contemplate the natural world anew with her guidance, and marvel at how we are all part of the continuum – and then, perhaps, to reflect on his or her own life.
As an artist, Paula drew largely from her immediate surroundings, often using nature and natural forms to explore memory, emotions, and formal aesthetics in her photographic work. She began her career in photojournalism and moved into fine art photography to tell her own visual stories. She related photography or “drawing with light” to a painter’s process of mixing paint to create the initial palette of raw material. Light was often her raw material.
Paula most recently served as Gallery Coordinator at Rosewood Arts Center in Kettering, where she recently earned her five-year certificate of service.
Paula began her career as a photojournalist, first with the Chagrin Valley Times near Cleveland, Ohio, and then with the Medina County Gazette in Ohio. After moving to Houston, Texas, with her family, Paula worked as the Photography Coordinator for Rice University, as well as a freelance photographer for The Houston Post and The Houston Chronicle.