She was born on July 20, 1953 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Paula was raised in North Plainfield and Westfield, New Jersey. She received her high school diploma from Holy Trinity School in Westfield, New Jersey, attended Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from San Diego State University in 1983. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego Law School in 1986.
Paula married David Tupper in 1973 and they were deeply in love for over 44 years. They moved to San Diego County the same year, where they raised two children, Matthew and Morgan. Paula worked as an attorney for over 20 years in San Diego until her retirement in 2008.
She was active with a wide array of groups and causes in San Diego, especially the local theater and arts community. She was a five-time Jeopardy champion, devoted to her personal library, a lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and the Victorian Ladies’ Society, enjoyed traveling and silent films, and was an ardent lover of animals. She was also a staunch Democrat, feminist, and particularly passionate about women’s rights and history and LGBT rights.
Paula is predeceased by her parents, James and Helen Garrison.
She is survived by her husband, David Tupper, son Matthew Tupper, and daughter Morgan Tupper, her sister Mary Lee Garrison, and her Miniature Schnauzer Cooper.
Her viewing will be held on Friday, February 9, 2018, from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Erickson-Anderson Mortuary at 8390 Allison Avenue, La Mesa, CA 91942.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Planned Parenthood or the Women’s Museum of California.
She touched many lives and was loved and respected by many. She will be missed by all who knew her.
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