Marcia Jeane Pauli, 80
Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, Marcia Jeane Pauli, loving wife and mother of two, Tony (Kathi) and Teresa (Jeff), passed away at the age of 80.
Marcia, was born on May 31, 1941, in Kalispell to Alvin and Irene Dukleth where she grew up and graduated from Flathead County High School. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. On Dec. 11, 1962, she married the love of her life, Roger Pauli; they celebrated nearly 59 years of marriage.
In 1998, she and Roger took an early retirement at age 56 and transitioned to a life of full time RVing, allowing them the freedom and opportunity to see the country and follow the warm weather, spending summers in Kalispell, and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and winters in Florida, Arizona and California. They visited all of the 50 states, except Nebraska, and eight of 10 provinces during their journey.
Marcia was loving, kind and compassionate with a heart of gold. She was a perfect mother to Tony and Teresa, whom she truly loved and was very proud of. She adored her two grandsons, Dylan and Ethan Hanley (Teresa and Jeff), and when Tony introduced his wife Kathi and her two daughters (Haleigh and Magen), into the family, Marcia accepted them with the same love and affection as if they were her own.
She will be remembered for her quick wit, sense of humor, and warm smile. Those close to her grew accustomed to her child-like qualities and unique personality. Her use of “Dukisms” (upside right, for example) and “dogwooding it” (answering a question even though she didn’t really know the answer) are just a few of the things which endeared Marcia to everyone she met.
While small in stature, Marcia was strong and fearless. Whether bracing the foul weather while crossing the Straits of George on their sailboat, in small craft warnings, or dozing off on the back of a motorcycle at 100-plus mph, nothing seemed to phase her. When asked how she could do that on a motorcycle, she would say “Well, it was boring, there was nothing to look at.” Her strength and fight also allowed her to survive stage 4 colon cancer as well as a double bypass heart surgery.
On any given fall Saturday, you would find Marcia watching college football and when asked who is playing, she simply answered “Oh, I don’t know.” It really didn’t matter, she simply loved to watch. Each spring, her attention turned to college basketball proclaiming, “March Madness is my life,” as she watched nearly every game. In recent years, her passion was hockey and the Vegas Golden Knights. It is certain that Marica is cheering them on to victory from above with her beloved puppy, Bebe, at her side.
Marcia was preceded in death by her father Alvin, stepfather Alvis Taylor, mother Irene, and sister Karen.
She is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband Roger, son Tony, daughter Teresa, brother Dick, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of Marcia’s life will be held in the summer of 2022 in the Flathead valley.