Paula Powers

It is with heavy hearts that we, as a family, announce the passing of Paula Lee Powers on Sunday April 23, 2023. Paula peacefully transitioned in her home surrounded by her loving family. Her visitation will be held from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Tuesday April 25, 2023. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday April 26, 2023, at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Downsville, LA.

Paula was born the second of five children to Coy and Myrtice Lee in Monroe, Louisiana on May 25, 1951. She was raised in Calhoun, Louisiana with her sisters Janie, Michee, Deborah and Cara.

In 1967 Paula gave birth to her first child, Ashley, followed by Gene, in 1969, and Trey, in 1972. While raising her children, Paula attended Northeast Louisiana University, where she graduated in 1989 with her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Following this, she moved to Scotland to teach. During this time, she met Gregory Powers. In a chance meeting, the two sat together during a flight and talked. In 1991, the pair married and moved to Michigan. Paula maintained her love of learning and graduated with her master’s degree in School Counseling in 1996. Paula and Greg then moved to Wichita, Kansas, where they would become foster parents, and would go on to adopt their daughter, Madalyn, in 2001.

Paula truly had a passion for the youth and teaching. At Linwood School, she worked with therapy dogs as a school counselor. Her yellow lab, MacAuthor, was trained as a therapy dog and was known for being able to do tricks like simple math and hide and seek. She worked at Wichita Adventist Academy, where she taught two of her granddaughters, Lauren and Molly, as an eighth and ninth grade science and math teacher. In 2007, Paula, Greg, and Maddie, would move to Shreveport, Louisiana. There she taught fifth through eighth grade at Colquitt Christian Academy for two years. From 2009 to 2017, she taught at Caddo Parish Adult Education. In 2017, she moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be with Maddie as she attended college, where she continued to teach adult education. In 2021, Paula retired, and returned to her hometown.

Paula had many hobbies including reading, interior decorating, watching HGTV, gardening and traveling. Her favorite trips were her Alaskan cruise, Maine and Massachusetts trips, road trips to Louisiana to see her family, trip to Scotland, and trip to Dominican Republic in 2020. She also taught herself how to play piano and she loved singing.

More than anything else, Paula loved her family and community. She was a grandmother to fourteen grandchildren. She loved going to zoos and museums with her grandchildren, shopping for gifts for her family and friends, and decorating for holidays with her family. She played piano and taught bible classes and Sabbath school at her church. At church, she could often be found holding a baby or babysitting. She was incredibly selfless and giving and was always the first person to volunteer to help people.

She is preceded in death by her father, Coy Lee and sister Janie Head.

Survivors include her mother, Myrtice Frost; husband Greg Powers; children, Ashley Ortiz and husband Gus; Gene Johnson and wife Heidy, Trey Johnson and wife Brooke, and Madalyn Powers and fiancé Timothy Chastanet; grandchildren, Lauren, Molly, Christina, Riley, Leah, Hannah, Dawson, Jake, Mathias; great grandchildren, Elizabeth, Lucas, and Cyrus; sisters, Michee Roy, Deborah Bailey, and Cara Roach.

Online Registry/Condolences: www.mulhearnfuneralhome.com