Paul, Eugenia
1942 – 2015
Eugenia Paul, of Calgary, AB, Canada, passed away of cancer on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at Agapé Hospice, where she received excellent care. She was 73. She was born on March 12, 1942 in Bense/Anse de Mai, Dominica, West Indies where she was the eldest of nine in her immediate family and became a second mother to her siblings. She was known, in the local patois, as La Belle (beautiful) Sésé (sister), and Ma Doudou (sweet mamma).
Eugenia moved to Calgary in 1969, when she was 27, and in 1976 she gave birth to a son, now Dr. Elliot Paul, whom she raised on her own with tremendous wisdom and love. She worked mostly as a Nursing Assistant and was also an enterprising entrepreneur. In Dominica, she sold beautiful dresses that she designed and sewed herself, and ran her own grocery out of an add-on to her family house. In Canada, she ran two of her own companies, one for cleaning services and another for nutritional consulting.
A devoted Seventh-Day Adventist, Eugenia dedicated her life to serving others. She volunteered in hospitals and nursing homes, opened her home to eleven foster children and three mentally challenged seniors over the course of two decades, and provided encouragement and guidance to youths in juvenile detention. She sponsored numerous relatives to seek better opportunities in Canada. She was funny, generous, warm, and kind-hearted to family, friends, and strangers alike.
Eugenia was predeceased by her mother, Philomen Joseph; step-father Henderson Joseph and her father Stanford Paul. She is survived by: her son, Elliot; siblings, Gerald, Javier, Cynthia (Hubert), Jude (Nillie), Timothy (Colleen), Joel (Denise), Rhoda Joseph, Mayna, Jane, Jessie, Marcus, Peter, Lawrence, Clara Paul; Mona and Agnes, several nieces and nephews including Mahalia, Maryke, Monice, Mandi, Myia, Jefferson, Dillon, Tyson, Tyrone, Tatiana Joseph; many cousins including Mark Bruney (Joan), Annelta (Thompson), Thompson Jr., and Cryston Robin, and numerous close friends.
A celebration of Eugenia’s life will be held at Eden Brook Funeral Home on Friday, October 9, with viewing from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., and service beginning at 1:00 p.m. There will also be an early viewing the evening prior, on Thursday, October 8, from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made for disaster relief after Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica: go to www.ammado.com, click Donate, and type “Dominica Red Cross”. For more information, or to offer condolences, please visit www.edenbrookcemetery.ca.
Please take comfort in the hope of the resurrection promise to us at John 5: 28-29
La Belle, I remember you as a beautiful and well dressed lovely lady in the village. You were my first teacher, when you operated a little preschool from your mothers house in the early sixties. to the family, Rhoda, Mayma, Jude, Timothy, and her Son, i say remember that earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. Take your rest in the arms of Jesus.