Paula Fish

Feb 16, 1953 ~ Feb 18, 2003

If you'd like to support Paula's MS Walk Team, you can either Click Here to make an online donation through the Multiple Sclerosis Society's web site, mail a check to the MS Society, or call the MS Society to make a donation via credit card. All of us on the "Almighty Alrighties" appreciate your support.

This photo from 2006 shows me with our daughter, Sarah, our oldest son, Chris, and our two grand-daughters, Audry and Allison. Your donation to Paula's MS Walk Team can help find a cure for MS in Audry and Allison's lifetime.

Donate Via Mail: You may mail donations to:

The National MS Society
651 G Lakeview Plaza Blvd.
Worthington OH 43085

Please write "Paula Fish / Almighty Alrightys" in the memo section of your check.

Donate Via Phone: Call the MS Society at (614) 880-2290. Be sure to specify the donation is in memory of Paula and should be applied to the Almighty Alrightys walk team.

April, 2008 -THREE babies in the MS Walk

My granddaughters will have company in this year's Columbus MS Walk. I don't think either Audry nor Aliison will be able to walk the entire route (aren't strollers wonderful things?), and I'll be very surprised if Allison's brother, Luke will stay awake for more than a few minutes of the walk.

April, 2007 - It hs been a busy year

Last year at this time my first two grandchildren were a bit over 2 months old. The girls are now over a year old, and the big news this year is that my oldest son and his wife are expecting their second child. Time has really flown by this year, probably because of the babies. Both babies are walking now and will be participating in the MS Walk. We'd all appreciate your support.

April, 2006 - The Family Focus has Changed

The big news around here is that we have grandchildren. Sarah and her husband presented me with my first granddaughter this past February. Three days later Chris and his wife introduced me to my second granddaughter. It is a shame that Paula isn't here to share the joy and happiness the babies are bringing into all our lives.

June, 2005 - Happy Father's Day!

My daughter found out she was pregnant a few days before Father's Day. Father's Day fell on my mom's birthday this year.

"Don't tell grandma & grandpa I'm pregnant," my daughter said, "we'll have a Father's Day/Birthday Brunch at my house and tell them then.

My daughter gave my mom a bag full of knitting supplies for her birthday, which is how my mom and dad found out my daughter was pregnant.

My daughter-in-law gave my mom a book designed to record memories you want to share with your grandchildren (in this case, great-grandchildren). The inside cover was inscribed "Grandma, here's someplace to keep track of the things you want to share with ALL of your great-grandchildren," which was how I found out I was going to have TWO grandchildren.

It is interesting how quickly the joy of the good news becomes tempered by the realization that Paula isn't here to share the joy.

April, 2004 - Dealing with the Loss

As I write this, it is April, 2004. In February, Brian got married on the 15th. The 16th would have been Paula's 51st birthday, and the 18th was the one year anniversary of Paula's death. Then came March. The 16th would have been our 30th wedding anniversary. Sarah got married on the 20th. On the 21st a local TV station aired an interview with us about Paula and MS. And on April 17th we've got the MS Walk.

Needless to say, we're all very much aware of the huge hole left in our lives when Paula was killed by complications from multiple sclerosis. One of the ways I'm dealing with that loss is to be more involved with Click to Continue...

About this Page

I'm doing this paulafish.com web site for several reasons.

The reason I initially set up the site was to provide information about my late wife, Paula, for extended family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and anyone who knew her.

As I was working on the first page, I decided it would also be a good way to help Paula's MS Walk team raise money the National Multiple Sclerosis Society can use in the fight against the disease that killed Paula.

And, as time goes by, we're going to use the site to collect and share memories and thoughts about Paula - information that we'll be able to share with Paula's grandchildren, who will know her only through photos, video, and the stories we tell.

Paula was a very special person. She has been, and will continue to be, an important part of our lives. I'm hoping this site will become a tribute to her life; an extension of the legacy of love, joy, caring, concern and happiness she's left to our family; and a way for family and friends to share their memories and thoughts about Paula.

Paula's grandchildren will never know her personally. If you have memories, stories, photos, or information about Paula we can share with them either here on the web site or privately, please let me know.

Rob

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February 18, 2003 - This was The Day

Paula died at home, very unexpectedly, on Tuesday, February 18th.

Paula was challenged by multiple sclerosis since sometime around 1983 - back when Sarah was 3 or 4.

While her condition continually and gradually got worse, the last year of her life was an exceptionally good one for Paula. Her physical, mental, and emotional condition was the best it had been in years. We celebrated Paula's 50th birthday just two days before she died, and she was having an unbelievably good week.

I was in the family room with her at 7:30 on the 18th, and then went up to my office. When I came back downstairs at 8, she was laying back in her chair and looked to be unconscious. I called the emergency squad, but neither my efforts nor theirs were able to revive her. There was no sign of stress, pain, panic or fear on Paula's face - she looked like she'd closed her eyes and gone to sleep.

Paula's death certificate says the cause of her death was heart failure caused by multiple sclerosis. For some reason, it bothers me that there's no mention in the death certificate of the love, joy, and happiness she brought to those around her.

Paula's Obituary

Here's Paula's obituary, which was in the Columbus Dispatch on Thursday and Friday.:

After the Memorial Service

Paula was cremated. Some time after the Memorial Service (and also after the snow melts), our entire family will be making a trip to a lake in Virginia where Paula had many vacations filled with wonderful times. Before we come back home, we'll scatter her ashes.

Thanks for your thoughts, concern, support, and prayers. You'll find a link to the web site table of contents (which in turn links to additional pictures, stories and memories about Paula) at the bottom of this page.

Rob

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Memories and Thoughts

Penny Replogle, Paula's Sister-In-Law, April 2003

We're on TV!!

March 21, 2004. This is a 3 meg QuickTime movie of a local newscast's segment that featured our family. If your computer won't play this QuickTime movie, please visit QuickTime.com and get the free QuickTime player.

See it Bigger! - A 15 meg QuickTime version of the newscast. This is the same newscast segment as above, just a bigger image. If you have a dial-up modem, the 3 meg version would probably be a better choice.

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Bad Hats, Good Hats, and Badges

In 2003 and 2004, our MS Walk team wore baseball haps that said "Alright!"

The 2003 hat was blue with gold printing. At least that's what I ordered. Our kids, claiming that the colors were actually "maize and gold," weren't at all happy with the hats. As you may know, "maize and gold" are the school colors for the University of Michigan.

Paula was not a sports fan. She was, however, a big fan of The Ohio State University Buckeyes. She'd watch any and every OSU sporting event that was on television. Our kids were appalled at the thought of doing the MS Walk while wearing the colors of OSU's biggest rival. So the 2004 ball cap was red with gray lettering - or, as the kids saw it, "scarlet and gray" (OSU's colors).

In 2005, our walk team is avoiding the whole "hat color controversy." I'm making yellow "Why I Walk" badges for everyone on our team. The badge shown above is the one our daughter, Sarah, will be wearing.

The name badge came out so nice that I'm guessing other walk teams will want to order similar name badges for their walk teams. If I sell any of these badges, I'll donate $1.00 from each badge's sale to the MS Society.

Making Donations to the MS Society in Paula's Name

Note: The MS Society web site is sometimes unbelievably slow. It may take a while for the page to load. Please be patient after you click on a link to pledge.

The "Almighty Alrightys" ms walk team

Over the last 8 or 9 years of her life, Paula developed a habit of saying "Alright!!" any time we asked her about doing something. "Would you empty the silverware from the dishwasher?" And the answer would be a cheerful "Alright!" Ask her "Would you like a shower?" and you'd get that same bright "Alright!" And "Would you like to go on the ms walk?" would also get an "Alright!"

We'd love to have your support for Paula's ms walk team, "The Almighty Alrightys", as we help the Multiple Sclerosis Society raise money to fight the disease that took Paula from us. Thanks in advance for your support and contribution.

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To PaulaFish.com Table of Contents

Click Here to see a list of the pictures and memories of Paula added to the site so far.

My Business

When Paula's condition reached the point she couldn't be left alone for long periods of time, we started a small business so I could work from home and take care of her.

With Paula gone, the goal of the business has changed from "making enough money to keep a roof over our heads and take care of Paula" to "making enough money to keep a roof over my head and put something aside for retirement."

When folks ask me what I do for a living, it sometimes takes a while to explain - I seem to have a wide range of products and services.

Buttons, customized magnets, & magnetic-backed dry erase boards - this is what we started with. Making buttons was originally sort of a hobby that paid for itself. The hobby has grown into a pretty wide-ranging business. www.CCreations.com

The three most popular products are Name Tag Badges with magnetic fasteners (especially the ones with red hats on them), Save the Date wedding magnets, and large magnetic-backed dry erase calendars.

Basic Hydraulics Training - I'm a Certified Fluid Power Specialist, and I've developed a one-day, in-plant customized "Basic Hydraulics" course that helps companies increase their productivity and reduce their down time by giving attendees the knowledge needed to keep their hydraulic systems working at peak performance. www.BasicHydraulics.com

Large Refrigerator Calendar - Magnetic-backed, dry-erase, monthly or weekly, with your choice of title and artwork. www.CCreations.com

Save the Date Magnets - You know how the date of an event (wedding, party, shower, bar mitzvah, etc.) will be set waaaaay in advance, but invitations aren't sent out until right before the event? I make "Save the Date" magnets that can be sent out as soon as the date is selected. For weddings, I typically put a photo of the couple on the magnet, put their names above the photo, and put the wedding date below the photo. They send the magnets to family and friends with a note that says "Save the date, we're getting married! Formal invitation to follow." www.MakingItSpecial.com

Web Site Design - Yep, folks pay me to design and maintain their web sites. www.CCreations.com

Web Site Content for Financial Institutions - Many companies in the finance industry (banks, credit unions, accounting firms, etc.) struggle to keep fresh content on their web sites. A partner and I have an affordable solution that puts fresh articles on your web site twice a month. The completely customized version is www.BiznizPortal.com. The more generic solution is www.WebContent.biz

There's more, but I think what I've got listed will do for now. Both my mortgage company and I would be very happy if you could use some of my products or services. Heck, who knows - I might even get to put a bit into a retirement fund!