Corien Rae Paul

Corien Rae (Thomas) Paul

January 17, 1940 ~ September 6, 2024

Corien Rae Thomas Paul was born to parents Cletus Asa Thomas and Evelyn White Thomas in Hastings, Nebraska, on January 17, 1940. She joined three older brothers, Lonnie, LaMoine, and Calvin. Later her little brother Donnie was born.

In her youth, Corien was active in Girl Scouts, art classes, Student Government, the Hastings Baptist Church and in Job’s Daughters. She loved to dance. She always said she could run faster than the boys, even in her fifty’s dresses and heels. She laughed about being nicknamed “Toothpicks” because she was so skinny. Corien graduated from Hastings High School in 1957 and shortly thereafter moved with her parents and younger brother, Donnie, to Long Beach California. She took classes at Long Beach Community College, worked part-time, and became active in the Long Beach Baptist Church.

Corien went on her first date with Stephen Lester Paul, a sailor stationed in Long Beach who was from DeSoto, Missouri, on Thanksgiving in 1957. She was on the date because her mother told her to go out with the lonely sailor from church. They were engaged by New Year’s Eve and attended the Rose Parade together the next day. Evelyn was always very proud of her choice in son-in-law.

Corien married Steve on August 6, 1958, and celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2008 with a vow renewal ceremony at which Corien wore her original wedding dress. On their 60th anniversary, they renewed their vows one more time in Sedona with their Grandson, Brian Gruhn, serving as minister.

Corien made a habit of loving people, animals, and plants, providing a home away from home to visiting students, teens, children, soldiers, grandparents in need of grandchildren, bunny rabbits, dogs, African violets, and large trees named Charlie Brown. To know her was to love her and to be loved by her. She welcomed everyone. She raised her children to be the same, leaving quite a large extended family in her wake.

She was devoted to her faith and to her work with the youth and children at Sierra Vista Community United Church of Christ and the Southwest Conference UCC, where she served as The Director of Christian Education, Youth Leader, and Junior High Camp Director from 1989 - 2003.

Corien also served as a teacher, a Girl Scout, Cub Scout, and Campfire leader, a water aerobics instructor, a caterer and wedding cake maker for her kids and many of their friends, a stuffed animal surgeon, a homemade-ice-cream-and-chocolate chip-cookie aficionado, a Cornhuskers Football Fan, a family game player, and a cheerleader for all of her kids in all of their endeavors throughout life. She loved to sing and could always be found humming and whistling while jetting about the house cleaning, planning things, and telling stories.

Corien left us after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s on September 6, 2024. We are happy to think she has joined the love of her life as well as the many family members and friends who have gone before her. Steve, having passed in September 2021, was surely at the pearly gates to greet her. She is survived by brothers Calvin (Carol) and Don (Sharon) Thomas of Nebraska four children and three children-in-law (Kriss Paul Hagerl (Bill) of Sierra Vista, Kimberly Slezak (Gerald) of Milligan, Nebraska, Thomas Paul (Alice) of Tucson, Arizona, and Jamie Paul of Flagstaff, Arizona, five grandchildren and two grandchildren-in-law (Brian Gruhn (Emily Skinner), Amber Berg (Matt), Ella Paul, Isaac Paul, and Nikola Paul), and four great grandchildren (Roan, Maggie and Hadley Gruhn-Skinner and Archer Berg) as well as many nieces, nephews, friends, grand puppies and kittens, and a few grand-cattle.

All who loved her are invited to join in a Celebration of Life on October 12, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Sierra Vista Community United Church of Christ located at 240 N Hwy 90 Bypass in Sierra Vista. In lieu of flowers, the family would ask that gifts be made to either of the following two causes close to Corien’s heart:

​SVCUCC in memory of Corien Paul for youth programs (address above).

​ALZ.org: The Alzheimer’s Association, searching for a cure for the disease that took her last years.

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