Paula Brock Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Paula Brock Sequim, WA (formerly of Entiat, WA) On Wednesday, March 20, 2019, Paula Brock, loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away in Sequim, WA, at the age of 87. Paula was born the third of five children on June 29, 1931, in Dorfen, Germany, to Sebastian and Anna Scharl. Life was not always easy for Paula as she grew up in Germany during World War II, where not only food was scarce, but basic necessities were also hard to come by. After the war, she trained in Munich to become a professional tailor and worked there for several years. One of her favorite memories of that time was that she made costumes for the Munich Opera and that their famous tenor would sing to them while he was being fitted for his costumes. Her father worked at a U.S. Air Base and had a habit of bringing homesick G.I.’s to their house for a family dinner and to meet his daughters. He thought they might have a much better life in the U.S. than in post-war Germany. On April 3, 1951, she married Theodore "Ted" Brock, who was a member of the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Erding, Germany. In 1954, she moved with their son, Irvin, from Germany to Carson, WA, where Ted had a job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That trip was an arduous one with the crossing taking twice as long as planned, because of bad storms in the Atlantic. We think that is where she learned to not like boating very much! Their daughter, Anna, was born while they lived in Carson. In 1962, Ted was transferred to the Entiat National Fish Hatchery. Paula lost Ted to a fish planting truck accident in 1969, and never remarried. Paula was very proud that she could support both of her children through college and help them to achieve successful professional careers. Paula always had a beautiful garden and loved working in her flower beds. Her vegetable garden provided tomatoes as well as other veggies for the whole neighborhood. She was a great cook and nothing made her happier than to provide a great meal to someone, a holdover from her youth when food was so scarce. Paula’s hands were never idle. She never just sat somewhere unless she was knitting, crocheting, working on a quilt, or a fancy cross stitch project. Tailoring continued to be her major work, making everything from simple dresses, to bride and bridesmaids gowns for weddings. After Ted passed away, she decided to cut back on tailoring so she could get out of the house more. Packing fruit became her second job and she loved being with other people rather than being alone at home all day. At that time, she also took up golfing and snow skiing with her daughter. Membership in Toast Mistresses; the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, both as a member and statewide officer; and the Entiat Bridge Club, of which she was a member for over 50 years, kept her extremely busy. Volunteering at the local Senior Center and playing cribbage there each week were also activities she enjoyed. Bridge was her favorite game though, and she played for the last time with her group in Sequim just two weeks before her passing. Paula loved sports and watched golf, college football, and basketball constantly. I’m sure that right now she is upset that her favorite basketball team, Gonzaga, didn’t make it to the Final Four! Figure skating was another sport she enjoyed watching whenever it was on. She also attended sporting events played by her children and grandchildren as often as she could. She travelled to California to watch and cheer on her grandchildren while they were participating in sports from grade school through high school. Paula is survived by her sister, Irmgard (Siegi) Paudler of Dorfen, Germany; son, Irvin (Susan) Brock of Sequim, WA; daughter, Anna (Mark) Arnold of Hayfork, CA; grandson, Evan (Jessica) Arnold of Redding, CA; granddaughter, Emily Arnold of Asahi, Japan; step-grandson, Ken (Jessica) Hirsch of Portland, OR; two great-grandchildren: Jasmine and Isabel Hirsch of Portland, OR; as well as nieces and nephews both here and in Germany. Countless friends and family will carry Paula in their hearts throughout their lives. She leaves behind a legacy of loving and caring for people and animals alike. No person who met Paula was just an acquaintance, they almost always became friends. Her quick smile, sense of humor, and loving and caring nature will be sorely missed by all. Her constant companions, Abbey and Curley, are now living with her daughter in California. Because of her love of all animals, we ask that in lieu of flowers, please send donations in honor of Paula Brock to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society, P.O. Box 55, Wenatchee, WA, 98807, or www.wenatcheehumane.org. A “Celebration of Life” will be held on Friday, April 12, 2019, at the Entiat Warehouse Community Church, 14916 Hwy. 97A, Entiat, WA, from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m.

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Paula Brock

June 29, 1931 - March 20, 2019