Paula Jeanne Hawker

July 24, 1958 - October 16, 1998


Obituary of Paula Jeanne Hawker

Paula Jeanne Hawker passed away suddenly October 16, 1998, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was born July 24, 1958, in Salt Lake City to Don G. Hawker and Pauline Wrathall Hawker.

In 1981, Paula graduated Phi Kappa Phi, Magna Cum Laude, and first in her class from Brigham Young University, College of Nursing. In 1987 she received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah, College of Law. During the ensuing years Paula worked both as an emergency room nurse and practicing attorney in Utah and Texas. She was a gifted and compassionate medical practitioner, especially skilled in emergency medicine. After graduating from law school she combined her formidable medical knowledge with the practice of law, which culminated in 1997 with her appointment as General Counsel for the Utah Medical Association, a position she held at the time of her passing. In this position, Paula was active as a physician-patient advocate in the legislative arena and helped to connect these groups to address healthcare issues throughout Utah. During Paula's prestigious professional career she worked as a Registered Nurse at LDS Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital (Texas) and St. Mark's Hospital; Associate Attorney for Pezzulli and Associates (Dallas, Texas); Risk Management Consultant for Salt Lake Emergency Physicians and LDS Hospital; and as Legal Counsel for Forensic Consulting Associates, Inc. Her licenses included Attorney at Law (Utah and Texas), Certified Emergency Nurse, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Registered Nurse (Utah and Texas). Paula was also published as a Co-author/Co-Investigator on numerous articles advancing medical knowledge on emergency room practices.

Paula was blessed with many musical talents. She was an accomplished pianist and a gifted vocalist. She was a member of the University of Utah Chamber Choir and studied choral music at Cambridge University.

Paula will be sorely missed. She was always the first to be called by family members facing illness or injury. She shepherded these events to happy endings with a confident and unfailing hand. Paula was truly happiest when meeting these numerous opportunities to serve her family and fellow man.

Paula loved, and was loved by her many nieces and nephews. She enjoyed sharing her life's interests with them in a way that has forever touched their lives. Above all else, Paula Jeanne loved her family and spent her short time on earth caring for and thinking of them.

She is survived by her parents, Don G. Hawker and Pauline Wrathall Hawker; her sister Sherrie H. (Gary) Renlund; her brothers Gregory R. Hawker, Jeffrey J. (Rose) Hawker, and Timothy L. (Suzanne) Hawker; and 16 nephews and nieces.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 21, 1998, at the Cottonwood 7th Ward, 5565 South Neighbor Lane (1600 East). Friends may call at the Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday and one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday. Interment will be at the Grantsville City Cemetery at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Paula was a great-great-grand-daughter of early Grantsville settler James Wrathall (1828 - 1896). In Jan. 2010, Pauline Wrathall Hawker sent a disc containing Paula's pedigree and Paula's biography (Paula Hawker History):