NANCY CAROLE PAULSEN
Nancy Paulsen, of Lodi, CA, entered into rest with her daughters surrounding her in love on July 10, 2017, at the age of 85. She was born on August 25, 1931 in Chicago, Ill, the second child born to her doting parents, Vernon Coates and Esther Turnbull Coates. Her infant bother died before Nancy’s birth. She was raised in her beloved Youngstown, Ohio, and her family migrated to California when she was a young teen, where she spent a summer barking for the carnival rides on the Pismo Beach boardwalk. They moved to San Francisco and settled in Santa Clara, where she graduated from Santa Clara High School. She attended her 60th Class Reunion where she rekindled fond relationships. Always the last to leave a party, she was surprised when all the old people went home as soon as they finished eating. She attended San Jose State College and met the love of her life, Bud Paulsen, on a blind date. They were married on September 9, 1951 and celebrated 64 years of marriage.
They established their first home in San Jose, CA, where Nancy was a housewife and mother to her two daughters, Susan Carole (Paulsen) Harrower and Karen Anne Paulsen. The family settled in Lodi, CA, in 1966, and Nancy joined the Lodi Newcomers Club where she made lifelong friends quickly with whom she loved to bowl, golf and play Mah Jongg. She was still an active Newcomer’s Club member, on the board of directors, and enjoyed creating their monthly newsletter, complete with carefully selected graphics on Print Shop.
She began a career as a medical assistant with Vinewood Family Practice, and later went to work as a teaching assistant for Lodi Unified School District. Nancy was a past regional director of the American Field Service (AFS) Foreign Exchange Student program. The Paulsen family hosted three exchange students, each for a full year, Supar Phokachaipat from Thailand, Inge Lisa Jensen from Denmark and Marcel (Mel) Schweig from Luxembourg. The three of them remained close loving members of the Paulsen family, all of whom Nancy has visited and kept tabs with on Facebook over the past 45 years.
In 1980, Nancy renewed her membership with the philanthropic organization, The Women’s Club of Lodi, aka Lodi Women’s Club, where she rekindled her old friendships and made many new ones. As she grew older, these women became her closest friends and support system. She loved playing Pinochle every Wednesday afternoon with the ladies and attending their many functions, especially the annual Victorian Tea. Her Women’s Club friends affectionately dubbed her the Energizer Bunny as she survived 20 emergency visits and hospital stays to recharge her batteries over the past two years.
In 2007, Nancy with her husband, Bud, and her daughters were fortunate enough to build a home where they lived together as a family again. The four of them enjoyed doing everything together, including celebrating Nancy’s and Bud’s 50th and 60th anniversaries on a fabulous Alaska cruise and in beautiful Hawaii respectively.
Nancy is survived by her two daughters, two grandsons, Brian Harrower (Gina) of Sacramento and Adam Harrower, aka Jareth Black, (Meghan) of Pacifica, her cousin, Doris Day, of Sacramento, and nephew, Wayne Paulsen (Christine) of Dundee, Oregon. She was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. at the Lodi Women’s Club building, 325 W. Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Women’s Club of Lodi.
Please sign the guest book at www.lodinews.com/guestbook.