Paula Esch
Apr 22, 1941 -
Mar 19, 2024
Paula Rose Esch (LaBuwi-Ryan) passed away on March 19, 2024, at age 82, from complications related to Alzheimer's, in Palmer, Alaska. Born in Lodi, Wis., on April 22, 1941, she is survived by her husband, David C. Esch; sisters, Margo Pierson of Palmer, and Mary Ann Roach of Ohio; brother, Charles LaBuwi of Florida; daughter, Nevette Orth with spouse David and children Declan (Paige) and great-granddaughter Kinley; Peyton (Nicole) and great-grandson Josiah; and Kelton and Alia Orth; son, Brady Esch with spouse Liberty and children Harlow (Aria) and Coren Esch.
Growing up Paula cherished the time she had with family and friends. She worked in the family grocery store from a young age. Following high school, she attended and graduated from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee and, in 1971, received her M.S. degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
As a youth, she dreamed of going to Alaska, inspired by her great-aunt who was a nun, working at Pilgrim Hot Springs Alaska in the 1920s, and by her uncle Carl, who always wanted to visit Alaska, but never could. Before college graduation, with a degree in teaching, she applied to Alaska cities and towns and received several offers. She chose Fairbanks to teach high school math in fall 1963. In July 1963, Paula and her college friend Maggie set out for Fairbanks in her Corvair, loaded to the roof. By chance of fate, she had met her love and future spouse David late in 1962 in Wisconsin, and found he was also planning to go to Alaska for summer 1963, to work on the Denali Highway. She and David toured Alaska early that September before he returned to college in Illinois. Completing her year of teaching in 1964, they were married that summer in Monroe, Wis. After a honeymoon at a fishing lodge in Canada, they drove West for work in San Francisco, Calif. However, the draw of Alaska was too strong, and California was too smoggy and congested, so they moved to Juneau in spring 1965, and to Fairbanks from 1967 to 1996. Paula was highly respected and loved as a teacher and later as a school counselor for 20 years. Since 1996, they lived in Palmer.
Paula loved Alaska. She spent her summers gardening, camping and on the river, lake or boat in Valdez with the family. In Fairbanks, she volunteered at the Catholic Church Engaged Encounters. She was a fine cook and often shared dinners with friends. She loved sewing and quilting and eventually started a quilting business with her sister Margo after retirement. She was an avid reader and had a strong love of dogs. Paula and Dave loved hosting family and friends up to Alaska in the summers and they loved traveling the world. Paula was a very kind and caring woman that cherished family. The thing she loved most in life was spending time with her husband Dave, children, grandchildren and extended family.
Her ashes will be spread by the family cabin on the Copper River, where she loved to sit and view the river, mountains and eagles.
