On Monday, August 22, 2022, our beautiful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend Paula Sumsion Smith, aged 71, left this earthly life due to complications from a stroke suffered just the week before. She is survived by her husband, Damian Clyde Smith, her sister Lana Sumsion and her brother Chad Sumsion (Deanna); her five children Damian Raleigh Smith (Tandi), Jordan Dayne Smith (Kelly), Lilianne Wright (Jason), Preston Llewellyn Smith (Courtney) and McClain Sumsion Smith (Lauren), and 19 grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, William Grant Sumsion and Lois Maurine Cordner Sumsion and many aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Paula was born on February 24, 1951 in Orem, Utah, the firstborn of Maurine and Bill Sumsion. She spent an idyllic childhood growing up on her family's fruit farm, which was located right where the University Mall is now. As a young girl, she loved climbing the fruit trees, riding the family's horses Dusty and Blondie and watching and helping her parents, grandparents and uncle tend to the farm. She loved caring for her younger siblings, Chad and Lana. She was a great big sister to them and a big help to her mother.

Once she entered Orem High School, she served in student government, earned high grades and marched as a Tigerette. She won many awards, including the FFA Sweetheart award in 1969. After high school, she attended Brigham Young University where she excelled as a Cougarette and cheerleader—speaking fondly of those times traveling with the football and basketball teams to other universities. She loved singing the Cougar fight song, which she taught all her children on long car rides. Though busy with these activities, she still managed to earn high grades, work at the BYU library virtually the entire time, and graduate with a business degree—all in three short years. After college, she taught at Lehi High School before her marriage to Damian in the Provo Temple on July 15, 1976.

Over the course of their 46 years of marriage, she gave birth to five children and lived and traveled around the world. She willingly went wherever Damian's legal career took the family and tackled each move with optimism and determination to make it a wonderful experience for the family. These places included Bellevue, Washington; Tokyo, Japan; Salt Lake City, Utah; Mercer Island, Washington; Manila, Philippines; Hong Kong and Alpine, Utah. She was full of grit and possessed of a herculean work ethic. She loved exploring and learning about these new places, and made a beautiful home wherever the family landed. She also traveled, often alone with children, to Church history sites and to other countries. She remembered fondly her trips with her daughter to Normandy where she visited the endless rows of white crosses above the graves of the fallen soldiers, as well as Monet's flower gardens in Paris. She loved England and always fancied herself one of them. While living in Hong Kong, she learned to drive on the opposite side of the road in incredibly complex traffic and without GPS. Simply put, she was amazing and met all of these challenges with determination and a sense of adventure.

Paula was charismatic and had a tremendous intellect—always curious and constantly reading. She has one of the most eclectic and wide-ranging collections of books one will find anywhere: religion to flowers and gardens; history to cooking; home decorating to Chinese astrology; furniture to politics; finance to music; geography to art; biographies from George Washington to Chairman Mao's Little Red Book—just to name a few. She was insatiable in expanding her mind both with the wonderful ideas of the world as well as the gospel.

She was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served in many callings of responsibility—including several years as early morning seminary teacher in Hong Kong. She constantly studied the scriptures, church history, and the words of the prophets. She had particularly great interest in the temple and the symbolism found there. She loved and studied about the pioneers who carved this beautiful place from the wilderness. She was a patriot who studied American history and the founding of this nation as the cradle of the restoration. She revered the Founding Fathers and the Constitution and was deeply concerned with the state of our Republic. Her opinions were strong but always informed.

As her health deteriorated, her favorite pastime was to drive her white Sequoia, hooked up to the oxygen, to look at residential or farm properties. She had almost photographic recall of every house she had seen, down to the wallpaper and furniture. She was a fabulous conversationalist who could converse about almost any subject. Oh, how we will miss all our varying conversations with her!

She was an accomplished pianist and organist, and began accompanying the primary at 12 years old. During her entire adult life until recent sicknesses, she accompanied choirs and congregations all over the world. She was extremely gifted at sight reading music–a skill that brought much joy to her, her family, and many a choir director. Her service in the church was a blessing to her and she did it with devotion and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

She was intrepid, unafraid to try new things. She started a fresh fish business in Salt Lake City, and with the able help of her cousin Tammy Cope, built it into the largest supplier of fresh fish to the finest restaurants in the area. The chefs were amused to see her make deliveries in the company van with her kids in tow.

Paula had impeccable taste. She was a trend setter with both her home and her gardens. She willingly shared that love of home and garden with all those around her and was always a wonderful resource in this capacity with her friends. She was a collector of many things, especially beautiful furniture. Paula loved to visit small, eclectic shops to hunt for her next treasure. In her many years of traveling the world, she amassed a huge collection of furniture from all over the world and her design style was as wide-ranging as her travels.

Everywhere she lived, she made things beautiful. Paula was a wonderful friend to all. She was known for taking the downtrodden into her home for extended periods of time and welcoming them with love, good food, warmth, and laughter—and occasionally a dose of sage advice. She was always a listening ear and a steadying influence. Paula had hundreds of "best friends," and they all loved her back.

Among the multitude of her talents and interests, her greatest devotion and her crowning achievement was her children, their spouses and being an amazing "Sita" to her 19 grandchildren. She loved being a mom and grandma; in fact, it was what she lived and breathed for. She was a fortress of wisdom and support in every single one of our lives. She knew exactly what we were all doing at all times—our struggles, our triumphs, our romances, our sorrows and our strengths. She spoke her mind. She was firm, but fair; loving and compassionate, but also able to administer correction when needed. There was never a doubt in the minds of her children and grandchildren that she would do everything and anything for them and often came at the drop of a hat to administer care and support. She was the master gatherer, taught everyone to love fiercely and was the best cheerleader. We never doubted that she loved us and wanted us. What a blessing that is to us all!

We're not sure how we will live this life without this amazing influence in our lives; it feels heavy and impossible right now. We rejoice in knowing that the struggles she faced with her failing body have ended and that she is running free of pain and frustration. We rest assured knowing that she was met with a host of loving family members into her heavenly home. During her last week, we had a chance to express our love and bid her farewell among some laughter but many tears. We know she is aware how much she is loved and missed and pray she will be close to us to help us in this earthly mission as she begins her heavenly one. Knowing Paula, we believe she will continue to be involved in our lives as a guardian angel from beyond the veil. Perhaps she will be closer now than even before. What a blessing it has been to know her and to be loved by her!

We love and miss you, Mom. You were one in million. We pray for you in your new journey.

Funeral Services will be Thursday, September 1, 2022, 11 a.m. in the Alpine North Stake, 1125 North Alpine Blvd., Alpine. Family and friends may visit Wednesday evening from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Walker Sanderson Funeral Home, 646 East 800 North, Orem, or Thursday morning at the church from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Interment will be in Orem City Cemetery. A live webcast will be available at www.walkersanderson.com where condolences and memories may also be shared.