When Paula Bunton’s fierce battle with cancer ended on September 7, she had touched the lives of tens of thousands of people. Her family, of course, will miss her most dearly. She left behind her beloved mother, Ruth Garriott Bunton, her brother, John, and her niece, Anna. She was predeceased by her father, Paul Bunton, and her sister-in-law, Linda Bunton. Additional survivors include,

Prudie Campbell, Jayne Perkins, AnneTaylor (Will) Renshaw, Katie Campbell (Bobby), Mary Rose (Joe) Hulsey, Annabelle Renshaw, Caroline Renshaw, Alice Hulsey, and Jack Hulsey

Paula attended Fayette County schools, planning to graduate from Lafayette High School. However, when her father’s company moved the family to Indianapolis, she graduated from North Central High School.

She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree and earned her Rank 1 from Georgetown College.

Paula attended Lexington’s Immanuel Baptist Church along with her family.

Paula was a consummate educator. She taught at Leestown and Beaumont Junior High Schools and was an inaugural faculty member at the new Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High. Over her long career, Paula influenced the lives of countless young people. She will be remembered by her students as an excellent teacher, who with uncompromising honesty and fairness, challenged and encouraged them to achieve beyond their expectations. Her colleagues will remember her for her unwavering sense of integrity along with her sense of humor and cooperative nature.

Paula’s sharp wit, her fun-loving nature, and her unfailing loyalty garnered her scores of friends. When Paula attended EKU, she made great friends—many of them for life. Paula had boating friends at Herrington Lake, golfing friends at Spring Valley Golf Club, sun-loving friends at Destin, Sanibel, Florida area beaches and her many close colleagues in her teaching career. And she never missed dinner with the Birthday Girls. With Paula “once a friend, always a friend.”

She loved to celebrate with her friends at holiday family get togethers, children’s birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, graduations and weddings.

Paula also enjoyed travel and served as a chaperone on student and adult European tours. While there, she often engaged in one of her favorite indulgences, fine dining. Her friends remember that she was quite a “foodie.”

When enjoying a several courses meal, she would say almost every time, “This is really good, but not as good as my mother’s.”

A Celebration of Life will be held at Immanuel Baptist Church on Thursday, September 14. Visitation will be from 4:00pm until 5:30pm. The Celebration will begin at 5:30pm.

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In lieu of flowers, the family requestsmemorialgifts in Paula’s name to Lexington Humane Society, Bluegrass Care Navigators or the charity of your choice.