PAULETTE E. McMULLIN

Paulette E. (Banks) McMullin, 71, Altoona, passed away  Monday at her residence.

She was born in Altoona, daughter of the late Paul and Marion Martha (Warsing) Banks. She was raised with her parents, aunt and uncle in the family home. On Aug. 18, 1972, she married Andrew McMullin at Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Surviving are her husband; two daughters: Elizabeth (Eric) of Altoona, and Christine (Adam) of Seattle, Wash.; and a granddaughter, Erica.

She was a graduate of Altoona High School, Class of 1964. She attended Lock Haven College from 1964-68 and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in secondary education with a major in English. In 1968, she started working for Roosevelt Junior High School in the Altoona School District as an English teacher. She moved to Altoona Area High School, and continued as an English teacher until she gave birth to her first child, Elizabeth.

After a year off, she again entered the education field and with the help of Lee Watson, she started a program for teaching those unfortunate enough to not be in school. The early days was going from house to house to teach one on one with subjects that the student needed to graduate. After the retirement of her colleague, Lee, Frank Meloy took over. They revamped the program and Paulette became a program specialist, with the help of Senator Bob Jubelier. With a new degree, she continued to teach one on one with the students coming to the Altoona Public Library. She did this even while she worked as a full time substitute teacher for Keith Junior High for the 2002-2003 school year.

 In May of 2002, she had a stroke. She lost the use of the left side of her body but did not give up. She continued to teach the home bound program a few years before retiring.

She has been involved with the Lutheran Church for teaching, and she developed a catechism program with the consent of the Rev. John Klingeman. She developed a team that taught students from three area Lutheran Churches. She and her husband opened the Musical Chalet and continued to run as many as three stores in three cities. Her passion was always "things could be done." She was a previous member of the Red Cross Board of Directors and a youth minister for St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Martinsburg. 

After her stroke, Paulette spent much of her time in a wheelchair but did not let that keep her from doing things. She loved to travel and read, and she especially loved time with her granddaughter, Erica.

Friends will be received from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, April 13, 2018, at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Altoona, where a funeral service will be held at noon Friday, the Rev. Dr. Barry R. Folmar officiating. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements are by Stanley J. Krish Funeral Home Inc., Altoona.