Paula Verson
Northampton, MA – Paula Verson (Frankevicz), aged 78, died peacefully on October 1st at 4:30 am at Linda Manor in Leeds, MA, two miles from her home on Kennedy Road, where she had been living for the last 4 months due to loss of mobility and dementia. She ultimately died from complications related to cancer. Previously she had lived on Front Street in Leeds for 12 years. She is survived by her husband Alan, children Matthew and his wife Rei, Elizabeth and her husband Dan, and grandchildren Acer and Carya
Paula was a devoted mother and wife, and found joy in creating a warm and inviting home. She loved planning and cooking interesting meals for her family and friends. Seeking inspiration from global references, procuring ingredients from local merchants and farms, and producing a meal to share around a table of people with stories to share was one of her true passions. She had fond relationships with a wide range of people, and always had time for a kind word.
Paula started life in North Andover, where her father John Frankevicz was a Chemist at a paper mill on the Merrimack River, and her mother Nellie (Symosek) was a Nurse. Both parents were raised speaking Polish in their homes, but due to the cultural ethos of the time and their family emphasis on assimilating, did not teach the language of their ancestors to their two daughters.
At age 13, Paula’s family moved to Bethel, ME for John’s industrial chemistry work in Rumford, on the Androscoggin River. Paula graduated from Gould Academy and then Catholic University in Washington DC where she majored in History with a minor in French. She received a MSW from Simmons in Boston, where she met Alan, her future husband, at a party. They married in 1973 and moved to Northampton in 1974 because Alan found a job at a law firm. In 1985 while Paula was successfully battling breast cancer, she and Alan designed and built the house on Kennedy Rd.
Paula worked for the Inflicted Injuries Unit for the State of Massachusetts in Boston for several years, and then found work at Children’s Aid and Family Service in Northampton. Paula had an exceptional commitment to the parents and children she dealt with, as evidenced by her occasional interactions with them in the community for years and decades afterwards. Paula was always interested in people’s better natures. She was a steadfast optimist, and her joy and happiness were infectious. She will be missed by all who knew her.
A memorial will be held at Smith College Conference Center, 49 College Lane Northampton on Sunday October 26th 2pm-4pm.
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