LINK TO MEMORIAL MASS/RECORDING
January 15, 1931 - November 1, 2024
“You have been told what is good and what the Lord requires of you: only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
Norma Becker was the first of four children born to Joseph and Anna Becker in Hamilton, Ohio. She and her siblings grew up in St. Veronica Parish where they were baptized and attended school. The Becker household also included Norma’s maternal grandparents. She felt living in an extended family was a great blessing. Her parents provided discipline, instilled strong values, and expected her to use common sense. Norma’s grandparents reinforced her goodness, intelligence, and many abilities which they encouraged her to share with others. This combination shaped the person she became and gave her an incredibly healthy self-concept.
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur taught Norma at both St. Veronica School and Notre Dame High School in Hamilton where she was an excellent student. In high school, Norma was involved in many activities, often holding a leadership position. She was the Valedictorian for her high school class, and she received special recognition in Latin and French, a gold medal for piano, and a scholarship to a college in Cincinnati, Ohio.
When asked about her call to religious life, she said, “My vocation developed like a seed – slowly, unseen, (sometimes ignored!), but constantly nurtured by my family and by many Sisters.” Norma was inspired by the Sisters’ depth of perception, vision, and their ability to open young minds to contemporary issues, including injustice. After a Sister introduced Norma to quotations from St. Julie Billiart, Foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, she felt that God was calling her to enter the community. However, Norma talked about pursuing other goals after high school. Additionally, the Sisters, aware of Nora’s slight build, thought that she may lack the stamina for religious life and that she may be too strong-willed. Her parents suggested college, but she was not interested, so she asked that her scholarship be given to someone else. Encouraged to work for a year before entering the convent, Norma got a job at the library where she worked only a few months. By December 1949, she convinced the Sisters and her parents of her decision, and she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on February 2, 1950.
With her customary energy and enthusiasm, Norma threw herself into living religious life and preparing for the ministry of teaching. As a novice she received the name Sister Paula Marie, a name she kept for the rest of her life. Soon the Sisters’ doubts about her vocation were gone, and she professed her first vows in 1952. In fact, they missioned Paula Marie and three other Sisters to be the pioneering faculty at Most Holy Trinity Parish School in Phoenix, Arizona.
What an adventure for 22 years-old Paula Marie, an inexperienced teacher, to be a “foundation stone” in Arizona, which was considered mission territory in 1953. During her six years at Most Holy Trinity school, she taught grades three through seven. In addition, she and the other Sisters taught religion to the children of the parish who could not attend the school. They also taught religion classes at the Mexican migrant camps on the outskirts of Phoenix, the nearby Navajo Indian Reservation and in the mountain town of San Manuel, Arizona.
Throughout her life, Paula Marie looked back on this Arizona experience with fond memories and appreciation. The Sisters with whom she lived and worked were wonderful role models, solidly committed to Notre Dame, extraordinarily adaptable to the climate, new ministries, and new cultures. The Superior, who was also the principal of the school, led others in an easy-going, yet challenging manner, giving others the freedom to follow the lead of the Spirit in their lives. Paula Marie strove to mirror this style of leadership throughout her life. She was also grateful for the wonderful people whom she met in Arizona, and she stayed in contact with many of her Most Holy Trinity students throughout her life.
After six years in Arizona, Paula Marie was sent to teach junior high students at St. Helen Parish School in Dayton Ohio. For several summers, she and other Sisters were invited to Arizona and Mexico to teach religion to children and adults. At the conclusion of one summer program in Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, 125 children made their First Holy Communion.
In 1965, Paula Marie was missioned to be the principal of St. James School in Wyoming, Ohio. Thus began her 30 years of serving as a principal in Catholic elementary schools. In 1996, she became an administrative assistant at Mount Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati. Some of her duties included coordinating the Adopt-a-Sister Program and other activities with the Sisters. In 2014, having completed 61 years of consecutive ministry in schools, she became the part time Charism/Heritage Liaison for Mount Notre Dame High School, coordinating even more activities to connect the students and the Sisters. She also enjoyed being the Sisters’ liaison with the alumnae of her alma mater, Notre Dame High School in Hamilton, Ohio.
In 2018, when Paula Marie retired, she was asked what kept her going all those years. She replied, “St. Julie's saying, ‘Education is the greatest work on earth.’ What a practical anchor and motivation to begin each day!” She also shared, “I have absolutely loved the schools where I have been privileged to minister, the staffs who have both challenged and inspired me and, of course, the thousands of students who brought and continue to bring such variety and joy to my life.”
Those who have lived and/or worked with Paula Marie enjoyed and admired her. They describe her as a woman of faith whose daily deeds and words were a constant inspiration to those who met her. She was a fun-loving “people person” who created a community atmosphere with those with whom she lived and worked. She was a generous, energetic, hard worker. She also had a sense of humor and loved telling stories, especially about situations in which she found herself, and about her family whom she loved dearly. She liked game nights, cooking for Sisters at Lorelei in the summers, Elderhostel trips, and pranks, some of which she initiated.
Paula Marie was also a person who “says it like it is,” with a deep sense of what is right and fair. Being reflective and insightful, others sought her advice. She always maintained a positive attitude when working with even the most difficult students. Her mantra was that they were on a path to maturity, realizing that for some it was a longer road than for others.
Paula Maria was the very definition of an educator: skilled in teaching and in mentoring teachers in the art and craft of education, understood the learning needs of each student, and empowered others to reach their full potential. In addition, she was a lifelong learner who attended classes, conferences, workshops, and participated in Elderhostel experiences. An excellent principal, she knew how to be firm and challenge staff and students with love, acceptance, and humor.
Paula Marie, may you, who have led “many to justice, shine like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3
BIO DATA:
- Born January 15, 1931 in Hamilton, Ohio
- Parents: Joseph A. Becker (born in Hamilton) and Anna Lammert (born in Hamilton)
- Siblings: Ruth Becker Untener, Carol Becker Badgley, Donald Becker
- Baptized January 25, 1931 at St. Veronica Church, Hamilton, Ohio
- Entered at Mount Notre Dame: 2/2/1950
- First Profession: 8/13/1952
- Final Profession: 8/13/1957
Education:
- St. Veronica School, Hamilton, Ohio 1945
- Notre Dame High School, Hamilton, Ohio 1949
- Bachelor of Science in Education, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 1962
- Masters of Education, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio 1970
Assignments:
- 1953-1959 Most Holy Trinity Parish School, Phoenix, Arizona
- 1959-1965 St. Helen Parish School, Dayton, Ohio
- 1965-1972 St. James Parish School, Wyoming, Ohio
- 1972-1974 Sts. Peter and Paul Parish School, Reading, Ohio
- 1974-1985 St. Helen Parish School, Dayton, Ohio
- 1985-1986 Holy Angels Parish School, Dayton, Ohio
- 1986-1996 Sts. Peter and Paul Parish School, Reading, Ohio
- 1996-2014 Mount Notre Dame High School, Reading, Ohio
- 2014-2018 SNDdeN Liaison for Activities with Mount Notre Dame High School, Reading, Ohio
- 2015-2023: Volunteer, Ohio Unit Finance Office, Mount Notre Dame, Reading, Ohio
Died on November 1, 2024 at Mount Notre Dame Health Center, Reading, Ohio
Sister Kim Dalgarn SNDdeN and Sister Rita Sturwold SNDdeN