Paula Marie Freeman Hall, 72
Paula Marie Freeman Hall, 72, passed away on Sunday, January 13, 2019, in Sandpoint, Idaho. There will be a celebration of life to honor the enormous contribution Paula made to this community on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Trinity at City Beach, from 4-7pm. Friends, family, and anybody touched by this incredible woman are welcome to attend.
Paula was born on December 8, 1946, in Washington, D.C., to Robert and Mildred Freeman. She grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. After high school she attended the University of Tennessee and later graduated from California State University, Chico, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting. Paula received her CPA certificate in 1976, after passing the exam on the first try — an amazing accomplishment.
In 1981, Paula and Marianne Bachus formed Bachus and Freeman, a forward-thinking female owned CPA practice in Paradise, California. Together, Paula and Marianne were trail-blazers creating a very successful practice that endures to this day. Nearly twenty-five years later, Marianne followed Paula to Sandpoint – a testament to the remarkable woman and friend Paula truly was.
Paula and her family moved to Sandpoint in 1993. She opened a solo practice in the Selkirk Building and eventually merged her practice with Brad Williams creating Williams & Parsons in 1996. Paula was loved by her clients for her attention to detail and to perfection, but also for her loving spirit, integrity, and devotion to her clients. She took pride in her work and worked until the very end for the love of the job, her colleagues, and her clients.
Over the years, she devoted hundreds of hours to civic organizations benefiting this town that she loved so much. She is a former President of the Panida Theater, the Festival at Sandpoint, and Rotary. She worked tirelessly to bring in multiple grants to benefit the organizations she served. In 2013, she was honored as a Woman of Wisdom. She served on the CHAFE ride committee and was in charge of registration. She leaves behind a legacy of civic devotion, charisma, and excellence.
Paula was an avid skier, lover of nature, traveler, and outdoor enthusiast. She could often be found at Schweizer, hiking gold hill, or enjoying the lake and beautiful scenery that she loved so much. Paula was an amazing person in every sense of the word and truly blessed everyone she came into contact with. People either add positivity or negativity to every experience and person they encounter and, of course, Paula always added the positive. She was a force of nature who attracted and blended an eclectic group of people, many of whom might have nothing in common except their contact with her. She truly made the world a better place with her vibrant presence and the love of life and the people in it.
She was a loving mother of three daughters, Michelle (Mike) Brown of Chico, California, Erika (Brett) Judd of Boise, Idaho, and Rachelle (Aaron) Stebbins of Sandpoint. She is survived by her husband, Dann Hall; her three daughters; her sister, Hester (Keith) Wesselmann; and six grandchildren, Kayla, 16, Jace, 8, Finnley, 4, Will, 4, Drew, 1, and Eleanor, 1.
Paula was loved beyond measure and will forever leave a mark on this community and individuals and organizations she touched. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sandpoint Rotary Charitable Trust, PO Box 1666, Sandpoint ID 83864, with the notation “Paula Hall Memorial.” Those funds will be used to support early literacy efforts here in Sandpoint, a cause that was dear to Paula.
Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Paula’s online memorial at lakeviewfuneral.com and sign her guest book.