It is with great sorrow we announce Paula Templeman Harding rose to her heavenly home on May 12, 2025, at the young age of 71. Paula was a woman of deep, unwavering faith and love for those around her both 2 and 4 legged.

It was no secret the love and pride she had for her daughter Michelle, the affection for her husband Wayne or her fondness for her favorite son-in-law Bobby, whom she referred to as her son, since she didn't like the in-law reference. Her passing has left a void in the hearts of everyone who knew her. You couldn’t be around her for 10 minutes without thinking she was the sweetest woman in the world. Don’t let that sweetness fool you, while her natural red hair color had faded over the years, the fiery temperament that went with it burned brightly if provoked.

You couldn't know Paula without having to hear about her daughter. Paula and Michelle shared a deep bond and you rarely saw one without the other. Often mistaken for sisters while out shopping, they were best friends and there was no doubt the fierce love and adoration they had for each other.

Paula and Wayne were proof it's never too late to find the love of your life.  Their 34 years together were filled with many fun stories and a love that never dimmed.  The biggest running joke was that at the beginning of their relationship, Paula told Wayne she could only be really great in one room of the house.  Wayne didn’t’ select the kitchen so Paula did very little cooking. When her skills were needed, the hum of the microwave signaled another special creation would be ready in minutes. The one exception was her slow-cooked chicken and dumplings, which was near perfection.

Paula was honored to have extended kids from Michelle's lifelong friend Barbara, she wasn't shy to tell anyone this was her daughter from another mother.  She referred to Barbara's husband Dale as her son and when we told her that didn't sound right to introduce them as daughter and son when they were married. She didn't care and they were her kids.

Paula turned a temporary job at the University of West Florida College into a 31-year career. During all her years she never left the Controller’s Office but worked in a variety of roles before becoming the Accounts Payable Supervisor for Financial Services. As her family we had to laugh as she couldn’t play any card game without using her fingers to count, her reply was she had a calculator on her desk at work. When she retired in 2019, she had two goals, sleep in late which meant 10 or later and read as many books as possible. She was able to do both most of the time.

Our babies, the 8 inside cats (all rescued) are looking around for the mom who gave treats behind the old guys back. We are feeding 2 feral cats because she couldn’t stand to see them hungry. When it turned cold, she spent time trying to get them to sleep on a heating pad in a box on our porch. Paula had a tender heart for all animals, and we have the fattest squirrels and birds in the neighborhood as testament to her feed anything policy.

The world is a better place because of Paula. She is now in heaven with her mother Rhonda Clary Templeman, her father Paul E Templeman, her grandparents Jim and Nellie Clary along with other family and friends who were called home before her.

In lieu of flowers to honor Paula's memory, please consider purchasing a gift from the Pensacola Humane Society's Amazon wish list https://pensacolahumane.org/a… or bring an item to the Celebration of Life for our donation in her name.

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