Obituary: Paulita Marie "Pauly" Ashton, RN 

• Paulita Marie "Pauly" Ashton, RN

St. Albans – Paulita Marie “Pauly” Ashton, a resident of this community since 1960, passed away Saturday, July 22nd, 2017, at the Northwestern Medical Center following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s.

Born on April 30th, 1938, in Georgia, she was the daughter of the late Gerard and Cecile (Pare) Ferland. Pauly was 79 years old.

On September 5th, 1959, Pauly married Robert E. Ashton, Jr, who survives her.

Pauly was a 1956 graduate of St. Anne’s Academy in Swanton and then graduated from the Jeanne Mance School of Nursing in 1959. She started her nursing career at Bishop DeGosbriand Hospital in Burlington, then continued part-time nursing at the former St. Albans Hospital, Kerbs Memorial Hospital, Verdelle Village Nursing Home and Franklin County Home Health. Pauly did part-time work in order to stay home and raise a family.

She was very active in the local community with the St. Albans Skating Association, on the Board of Directors for Club Respite, which she served as President in 2006, Northwestern Medical Center Volunteers and Champlain Country Club. She enjoyed and spent many hours reading. Most of all she religiously supported her husband and attended hundreds of activities at B.F.A., she accompanied him throughout the country with his meetings, Pauly had a great time several years ago attending the December 7th, Pearl Harbor activities in Hawaii.

The major joy of her life has been her grandchildren, Eleanor and Ben Ashton.

Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Robert E. Ashton, Jr. of St. Albans; her 2 children, Roberta L. Ashton of St. Albans and Mark Ashton and his wife, Lori, and their children, Eleanor and Benjamin of New London, New Hampshire, as well as her sisters, Diane and John Paxman and their children, Louise Ferland and her daughter, Anala, and Chris and Dick Foster and their children, and Pauly’s brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Joe and Margaret Montcalm and their children.

A special thank you to the staff at St. Albans Healthcare and Rehab Center, especially, Rebecca Menard, Adrienne Daniels and Billie-Jo Taylor and also the Northwestern Medical Center, especially, Kari Staples.

Pauly’s family will receive family and friends on Thursday, July 27th, 2017, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the Heald Funeral Home, 87 South Main Street, St. Albans.

A graveside funeral service will be held on Friday, July 28th, at 10:30 AM at the St. Albans Bay Cemetery, Lake Road, with family friend, Joseph Davison officiating.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Association, Vermont Chapter, 300 Cornerstone Drive – Suite 128, Williston, Vermont 05495.

To send the Ashton family a written expression of sympathy or share a memory, please go to Pauly’s on-line guest book at www.healdfuneralhome.com.