Memorial for Pauline E Mitchell Born in West Burke, VT on Jul. 15, 1925 Called by God on May 23, 2016 and resided in Baldwinville, MA. Visitation: Private Service: Private    Pauline Elinor (LaBay) Mitchell, formerly of Baldwinville, died early in the morning on May 23, 2016 at Henry Heywood Hospital in Gardner, MA at 90 years of age. Pauline was born July 15, 1925 on Lone Pine Farm in West Burke, Vermont, the youngest of three children of Guy and Iva (Burbank) LaBay. Following graduation from Lyndon Institute in Vermont, Pauline worked in Lynn, MA and then as a nurse at Gardner State Hospital, where she met and married Charles William Mitchell, originally from Nova Scotia, who died August 1, 1982. Together, Charles and Pauline built a house on Royalston Road in Baldwinville and raised 4 children. Christine lives with her husband Gordon Schultz in Boston; Margaret lives in Baldwinville with Joseph Boyd; Robert lives with his wife Sally (Lajoie) on the Mitchell family homestead in Baldwinville, and Paula lives with her husband Thomas Meador in Gardner. Pauline worked as a nurse most of her adult life, initially "by waiver," being grandfathered in as a working nurse when nursing registration began in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, a fire in the hospital destroyed her nursing license, and because there were no copies, she was subsequently only permitted to work as an "attendant." Nevertheless, with four children in school, she managed to attend and graduate from Gardner State Hospital as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1971. She then worked as an LPN at Worcester State Hospital until she retired. The quilted pall over Pauline's casket was on her bed for many years. It was the first of many quilts made by her daughter Margaret (Mitchell) Balins with whom she lived for nearly 30 years. As Margaret was first learning to quilt she made some mistakes and became so frustrated that she resolved to throw away her first attempt. Her mother objected and patiently took apart the problems so Margaret could re-stitch the pieces. When the quilt, with its Old American pattern of many hearts fabric, was completed, Margaret gave it to her mother as a gift they both treasured. Pauline's accomplishments were at times both shadowed and yet made more impressive by the significant challenge she faced: bipolar disease. As difficult as living with bipolar disease was, it never stopped Pauline from being a loving wife and mother not only to her own children, but to other children in her extended family for whom she was at times a second mother. Pauline leaves behind 9 grandchildren-- Kristen Lee, Holly Lynn, Sheila Ann, Ryan Charles, Jeremae Charles, Kenneth Lance, Bryan Doyle, Charles Benajah, and Christopher Ralph—and 14 great-grandchildren. She was a long time member of Bethany Gospel Chapel in Worcester, and a living example of balancing family, work, and ongoing education, even finding time to garden and write letters to her own mother twice a week. Private funeral services for the family will be held at Fletcher-Hebert Funeral Home, 70 Pleasant Street, Winchendon, MA. To leave a condolence or memory, visit www.fletcherfuneral.com In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Boynton Public Library, 27 Boynton Road, Templeton Center, MA 01468.

| More ...

Service information is posted on our website only with approval from the family. If you are seeking information not listed below, please contact us.