Pauline French

Pauline Frieda French, 97, passed away peacefully in her residence in Annapolis, Maryland on the evening of April 18, 2019 in the presence of family. She was born in Racine, Wisconsin on March 22, 1922. She resided in Racine and graduated from high school there before beginning to work as a switchboard operator for American Telephone and Telegraph. Shortly after the beginning of World War II she was "loaned" to a local manufacturing company where she spent the next several years supporting the war effort by working on an assembly line building engines for Army trucks and tanks. Her organizational skills resulted in her eventually being placed in-charge of inventory management for the plant.

After the war she met and married Donald Sheehan French of Montello, Wisconsin. They eventually moved to the Washington, DC area where she raised her family and spent the remainder of her life. In addition to being a homemaker and mother, she was an active volunteer in her children's school and other projects. While helping with her husband's American Legion activities, she developed a passion for bingo which she maintained for the rest of her life. She eventually went back to work as a secretary for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington until she and her husband retired to Annapolis, Maryland. There she became very involved in producing their community newsletter and other local projects. After her husband died in 2000 she continued to be active in the community until shortly before her death.

She is survived by her two children, Daniel and his wife Deborah, and Cindy; grandchildren Courtney, Fred (Kristy), Donald (Mariah), and Joanna (David); and great-grandchildren Gabriel, Ryan, Payton, Matthew, Sophia and Daxton.

A viewing will be held at John M Taylor Funeral Home in Annapolis, Maryland on Tuesday evening April 23, 2019 between the hours of 6:00pm and 8:00pm. Funeral services will be held in the chapel at John M Taylor Funeral Home on Wednesday morning April 24, 2019 at 11:00am. A private family burial service will be held later in the week. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake.