Pauline Mary Terese Malpass Shechter, 95, of Traverse City, Michigan passed away Friday October 27, 2017 in Leelanau County.
Once in a lifetime you may hear of a life well lived like the one our mother had.
Born in Staffordshire, England on the 19th day of May 1922, Pauline Mary Malpass was born as the eldest of two daughters to Gertrude 'Trudy' Mary (Wall) and Mark Malpass.
At the age of 6, her father Mark died due to complications of WWI. With no family help, her mother had no alternative than to place Pauline and three year old sister Kathleen May into the care of a nearby convent while she sought employment. Three years later, Trudy met life partner John Charles Dow and together they took the girls home.
After graduating school at 14 years old, Pauline worked as a clerk in a tobacco and sweets shop and moved up to sales agent at the prestigious Scholastic. However within a few years as WWII was amping up, the Scholastic took a direct hit and was bombed out. In 1941 at 19 years old, Pauline joined the W.L.A. (Women's Land Army) where she proudly served for 4 years, plowing fields in all weather 14 hours a day to keep her nation fed and was fired upon by an enemy plane as it came down.
It was in Bristol on an evening leave with friends that the air raid sirens went off and a blackout declared that Pauline literally ran into US Army Staff Sgt. Max Shechter who after much pursuit finally won her over. They were married in Birmingham, England on February 17, 1944 and as Max continued to serve, Pauline gave birth to their oldest daughter, Doreen Mary.
As the war came to a close, Pauline and her then 22 month old child boarded the Edmund B. Alexander and headed for New York Harbor and arrived in the USA in July 1946.
Pauline and Max set up life in Detroit, MI. Max working at the Ford Motor Company and Pauline as a homemaker. Together they raised four children. Pauline took much pride in her family and was a good gardener and cook. She was especially proud of her cherry pie.
After Max, the love of her life passed in 1987, Pauline moved to Traverse City.
Pauline is survived and missed dearly by her children; Doreen Mary (Richard) Koseck, Debra (Robert) Rich and Mark John (Sheila) Shechter, 6 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and special friends Lorna Ameel, Mae, Grace and Nellie.
She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, daughter Jane Cheryl, sister Kathleen Zasa and niece Marcy Zasa.
The family wishes to express our most sincere gratitude to the caring, loving and professional staff at Orchard Creek Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation.
A memorial gathering to honor Pauline will take place on November 10, 2017 at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home at 1:00pm. Pauline's final resting place will be Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers the family wishes for you to consider donations in Pauline's honor to either the Boys and Girls Club or AC-Paws.
Please visit Pauline's tribute page at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com to share your thoughts and condolences with the family.
The family is being cared for by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.