My Life Since High School
Paula Luther Russel

Attended KCJC, met a guy, and we both graduated in '61, then moved onto MU. Married the guy at the end of Junior year, and graduated with BA, major in math, minor in education. Moved back home to nurse my father through his final illness while husband attended Naval Officer Candidate School.

After his graduation, we moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where our daughter Rachel was born in 1964, followed by her brother James in 1965. The four of us soon packed up and headed for New London, Connecticut, where I began my teaching career. Somehow, I thought that teaching math to a class full of mouthy eighth-graders would be easier than dealing with two energetic toddlers.

Back to Norfolk, where I again taught junior high math. This was shortly after the integration of Norfolk's schools, and it was a time fraught with racial tension. Meanwhile, at home, my children were learning how to climb on the kitchen counters and strew sugary cereal on our new carpet. Hard to say which environment was more stressful.

My husband got out of the Navy in 1969, and we moved to Cincinnati so he could attend rabbinical seminary. I taught junior high math until he graduated in 1974, and then I said, “No more.” He rejoined the Navy as a chaplain, and we moved back to Norfolk, where I've been ever since.

I played homemaker for a year, split up with my husband in '76, and embarked upon a career in banking that spanned 28 years. It was a much better fit for me than teaching. I worked in the Operations, Credit, and Retail Divisions, retiring in 2004 as a VP in SunTrust's Treasury Management Division.

I married Tom Russel, an electrical engineer (and incredible cook), in 1979. We'll celebrate our 30th anniversary in October. We live in a 100-year-old brick Victorian, which we share with two Siamese cats and one toy poodle.

Since retiring, I've been busier than ever. I'm involved in numerous fundraisers for our temple, volunteer with Siamese Cat Rescue and the Susan G. Komen Foundation (I've been a survivor for almost 18 years), and sit on the Board of Directors of our local YWCA. I also have a small floral design business, BeyondFlowers. In my spare time, I enjoy sitting on my newly renovated porch, drinking wine with friends.