PAULA “PUGGY” MIXON KELLY,

83, a retired travel agent, died Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at Good Shepherd in Little Rock, Ark. She was born on January 13, 1938, to Paul Mixon and Catherine Cotter Mixon in her beloved Marianna, Ark.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Arkansas in 1959 and while there was a member of Chi Omega. She loved traveling and helping others to travel, working in her yard, walking her beloved dogs (Missy, Holly, Flossie, and Angie), giving to her church, and most of all, spending time with her family and friends. She worked into her 80s and was so beloved by her associates she was named an honorary member of Les Clefs d’Or, the society of hotel concierges. She also achieved the distinction of Master Gardener. She was a mother, grandmother, and friend to many. We will miss her dearly.

She is survived by two sons, Cotter Cunningham (Edie Rogat) of Austin, Texas, and Baker Cunningham (Ashley Cunningham) of Little Rock, Ark.; three stepsons, William H. Kelly III (Michelle Kelly) of Avondale Estates, Ga., Lewis Patrick Kelly (Heather Kelly) of Chattanooga, Tenn., and Matthew Hughes Kelly of Rochester, N.Y.; and her grandchildren: Hailey, Peyton, Truman, Will, and Walker Cunningham, and Greer, Will, and Ben Kelly. She was predeceased by her husband, William Hathaway Kelly Jr., of Memphis; and her brother, Robert Cotter Mixon, of Marianna.

A memorial service will be held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Memphis on Saturday, July 10, at 11 a.m. The family will host a reception following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens (dixon.org/give), 4339 Park Ave, Memphis, Tenn. 38117, or St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, 692 Poplar, Memphis, Tenn. 38105.