Pauline Cales of Wayland, died Friday, July 1. She was 85.
Born on Aug. 27, 1936, in Frostburg, Md., a pleasant town nestled in the lush green Cumberland Mountains, Pauline and her four siblings were raised in a traditional Irish Catholic family. Her family and friends always appreciated the witty and sarcastic rebuttal she could throw out at a moment’s notice. No matter her mood, she could make you laugh, even if it stung a bit.
When Pauline was a teenager, her family moved from the small town to Detroit, where she picked up the love of sports and loyalty to the Detroit sports teams. Pauline played on the high school basketball team, enjoyed viewing every sport possible on television. Her competitiveness would be an asset in winning card and board games and assembling puzzles in world record times.
After high school, Pauline worked at the Detroit News, where she met the brother of one of her work friends and they began dating. Clarence and Pauline married in 1959 and had two children, Paul (Cynthia) and Anne. In the mid 1970s, Pauline and Clarence moved to Grand Rapids, and she worked at many local Grand Rapids companies.
After her children married, Pauline became the world’s best grandma to Shasta, William, Jack, and Luke. They became her passion and she lived to make them happy. Pauline was always at their school, church, music, and sporting events and invested in their lives.
A remembrance service and graveside ceremony were held on July 7.
