Paula Ann Jones

August 22, 1955 - March 28, 2026

Wake will be held at The Shrine of St. Joseph
1050 Long Hill Road, Stirling, NJ 07980
Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 from 7:00-9:00 pm
Mass of Christian Burial at the Shrine
Wednesday, April 1st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Reception to follow

Paula was born on August 22nd, 1955, to parents Henry and Angela Jones, in the Caribbean Island of Trinidad and Tobago. She was raised by her stepmom Pearl Clarke and her dad Henry, along with her four siblings, Gloria, Henry, Dagmar and Terrence, in the county of Woodbrook, Port of Spain. She attended St. Crispin’s Primary school, where she met her life-long friend, Carol Taradath, and then went on to Wong’s private Secondary school. Carol and Paula maintained a bond of love and friendship that eventually led to them becoming Godparents to each other’s children and has lasted for over sixty years.

In 1980 Paula immigrated to the USA and worked at Macy’s Department Store before working as an au pair with the Martuscello family who also became our family.  Paula loved and helped nurture Katie, Henry Jr, and Emily before giving birth to her beloved daughter Jamelia. Paula spent 25 years with the Martuscello family before working with the Cahill family, where she helped nurture Taylor and CJ. Although she mainly worked for these two families, Paula would sometimes care for other children if the need arose. She loved all her “babies” as she called them and was fiercely proud of their achievements.

From the very beginning, Paula had a heart that knew no limits. Whether she was offering a shoulder to cry on, standing up for what was right, or filling a room with her warmth and laughter; she had a way of making life brighter for everyone around her, whether it was by sharing the music she loved, especially songs by Bob Marley and various Trini Soca artistes or just conversation while sipping a cup of tea.

She was kind, selfless, and had a spirit that lifted us all and losing her has left a void that words cannot fill. We are comforted because we know that she loved God  and she is no longer at home in her mortal body but as is said in 1 Peter 1:3-4, she has been given "new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade”. Paula is ever present with the Lord. For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord in spirit (2 Corinthians 5:1–8).

Along with Jamelia & Daniel Hanoch, her extended Martuscello, Kennedy, Smith, Ayres, Owens, Jones, DeFour, Pierre, Quamina, and Taradath families, take comfort in knowing that her love, her laughter, and her kindness live on in all of us. She would want us to celebrate her life, to carry forward her joy, and to love one another as she loved us.

She is pre-deceased by her parents Henry and Angela, stepmom Pearl, and brothers Henry and Terrence.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Paula Anne’s name to one of the charities she supported - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Donations can be made directly through their website.