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Obituary for MALOY


Published in the Albuquerque Journal on Wednesday October 22, 2008

Paula Elizabeth Longacre Maloy, 79, was born to Albert and Thelma Drake Longacre, a U.S. Forest Service family, in Hot Springs, AK, on Tuesday, March 26, 1929. She grew up in California. While attending UCLA, she was a cheerleader, played the trombone in the marching band, and graduated with a degree in Home Economics in 1950. Paula became a teacher and met and married Thomas C. Maloy, another teacher, in 1952. In l954, they responded to a newspaper ad for married couple-teachers. One month later, Tom and Paula moved with their baby daughter to the Territory of Alaska and taught school for the Alaska Native Service in the villages of Kipnuk and Chevak. When Paula was expecting, she had to leave the tiny villages for a larger town hundreds of miles away where a mid-wife could attend the births of three of her sons. Paula also served as a mid-wife in the villages for several years. Tom and Paula maintained a life-long connection with the Yupik Eskimo people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The family moved to Albuquerque in 1964. Paula was very active in Republican Politics and many other community activities in New Mexico. For many years, she, with her little daughter, Molly, made presentations about Alaska to many public school classes in Albuquerque. As noted in feature articles in the newspaper, they were well-known for appearing in their fur parkas. Paula said she became a Professional Adventurer which included sailing with the Merchant Marine, traveling from Seattle to Alaska through the Aleutian Chain, cooking on tug boats delivering supplies to the villages of the Kuskokwim River and parts of the Bering Sea. For 18 years, she wrote for and produced the Tundra Drums newspaper. For fun, she drove a taxi-cab for years in Bethel, AK. These were some of many other unusual occupations. Paula was a Life Member of the VFW Auxiliary Post 10041 Bethel Alaska. She was a past President of the Delta Zeta Alumnae. Paula is survived by her husband of 55 years, Tom and their six children, Molly Maloy, Gayle (Maloy) and husband, Jim Binkley, Mike and wife, Becky Maloy and their children, Robyn and Marshall, TJ and wife, Sheri Maloy and their children, Aaron and Shawn, Dion Pat and wife, Mary Beth Maloy and their children, Kelly, Katelyn, and Lindsey, Toby and wife, Liz Maloy and their children, Kristine, Megan and Summer. Her ashes will be scattered into the Kuskokwim River in Alaska so that she can "Go to Sea: and "See all the other places."


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