Paula June Stephenson, passed away on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, at the age of 63. Her visitation will be Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, from 11 a.m. until noon at the Tuscumbia Church of Christ. The funeral service will follow at noon with Jeff Abrams officiating. She will be buried in Colbert Memorial Gardens. The family will receive guests at home following the interment.
Paula graduated Sheffield High School, class of 1972, as a Merit Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society. She graduated from Auburn University, Summa cum laude, in 1976 as a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon and Phi Kappa Phi. She enrolled in the University of Alabama in 1984 and earned a degree in accounting, Summa cum laude, and was tapped for Phi Beta Kappa and received the Culverhouse Scholar of Distinction Award in 1986; in 1988 she earned her master’s degree in tax accounting, and again she was Summa cum laude. Paula quickly became a certified public accountant.
In 1993, Paula became a teacher of accounting first at Huntington College in Montgomery then at Judson College for Women. She finished the last 17 years as a professor of accounting at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee. She gained the respect of her fellow teachers. More importantly to Paula, she was loved by her students. She was proud to say that every one of her four year students at Martin Methodist who graduated were placed either in a position in their field or in graduate school. She was preceded in death by her parents, Emory Paul and Jo Kirby Stephenson.
She is survived by her sister, Lacey Stephenson Kennemer and husband, John Kennemer; niece, Emory Katherine Kennemer; nephew, Parker Reid Kennemer; and two aunts; and numerous cousins.
Pallbearers will be Robin Stephenson, Travis Stephenson, Blake Stephenson, David Mitchell, Leslie Mitchell, Davey Mitchell, and Scott Smith.
The family would like to thank Dr. Jack Bartmess and the staff at the Summit at Mitchell Hollingsworth and the doctors and staff at Helen Keller hospital. A very special thanks to Vickie Moutrie, Melissa Marler, and Cindy Bonds.
Memorials may be made to the Sheffield Education Foundation, 300 W. 6th St. Sheffield, AL 35660, Martin Methodist College, 433 W. Madison St., Pulaski, TN 38478, or Mars Hill Bible School, 698 Cox Creek Parkway Florence, AL 35630.
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