Paula Lindly

Paula Gail Lindly, age 65, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, died at UAB Hospital on Saturday, July 13, 2019, after a long fight with a lung illness.

Paula was born on Feb. 28, 1954, the first of three daughters of Wayne and Patty Chittum in Portland.

Paula grew up in Portland and graduated from Portland High School in 1972, earned an associate’s degree in dental hygiene and practiced as a dental hygienist in Lafayette, for several years.

Paula met her husband Jay in Lafayette and moved with him to Tuscaloosa in 1987, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in human environmental science from The University of Alabama and then worked as a dental hygienist at Tuscaloosa Dental Associates.

Once in town, she began a commitment to her community and to her church, St. Mark United Methodist, that would span the rest of her life. In the decades of her Alabama residence, Paula could often be found cooking meals for the members of St. Mark, helping with her two daughters’ extracurriculars and throwing parties that the attendees would talk about for years. 

Paula found joy in helping her friends as well as those she’d never met. She was an expert organizer and planner, and could put together a lovely event with minimal time. Over the course of her life, Paula and her family traveled to over a dozen countries. She was able to see the world and meet people of different cultures, languages and religions, and she cherished every one of these experiences.

Surviving are her devoted husband of 31 years, Jay K. Lindly; her two beloved daughters, Beth E. Lindly and Grace N. Lindly; her sisters Lana Denise Wheeler and Andrea Butcher; several nephews and nieces; and a community that became her family.

Paula also had a sister, Dianne Bolton, who is deceased.

Paula will be remembered for her open heart and wicked sense of humor. She was an integral member of her community, a patient and loving wife and mother, and a woman who lived her life following the Great Commandment. Her heart will live on in the lives of her family and her friends. 

Visitation and services were today at Saint Mark United Methodist Church, 1421 McFarland Blvd. North, Northport, AL, 35476.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Challenge Farm, payable to GLOBE at Globe International, P.O. Box 3040, Pensacola, FL 32516.