OCONOMOWOC
Mary Paulin
July 26, 1946 - Aug. 28, 2024
Mary Paulin, age 78, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, passed away in the early morning of Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Her two sons were with her at the hospital in her final few days, and were able to express their love and gratitude to her.
Mary Rose Doheny (her family always called her Mary Rose) was born in Milwaukee on July 26, 1946. She was born into the large, loving Irish family of Mary (Pat) McKernan and Charles Doheny. The fifth of nine children, she grew up with few financial resources but much love. We can’t remember how many children shared a single bedroom in their home, but it was a lot. Mary never forgot the difficulties of her childhood, and it made her compassionate and caring to those around her. She was always willing to help those in need.
Mary spent her childhood in Grafton, Wisconsin, attending St. Joseph’s Grade School and graduating from Grafton High School in 1964. After high school, she studied accounting and computers at SMÌìµØÂÛ̳ County Technical School and in her early career worked for the State of Wisconsin and Marine Bank.
Her accounting skills would come in handy later in life when she took on one of her biggest challenges, helping to start our family business - Engine Power. Mary worked for 20 years to make this business a success, helping to find and set up the first building, doing office and accounting work until late at night while still taking care of her children. Mary always felt that the success of our family business was one of her greatest accomplishments.
Her successes allowed Mary to enjoy a life that she had always wanted. Having long desired to live on a lake, she helped design a home for her family in Oconomowoc on Lac La Belle. She spent 20 happy years there enjoying lake life and sharing that life with friends and family. She traveled all over the world and spent happy winters in Florida.
But the core of Mary’s life was always her family, her sons Brian and Patrick, and then later her grandchildren Margaret, Ella, and Zach. Mary actually became a grandmother at the early age of 44, with a young Margaret to help care for. She gave herself to that role and it made such a difference in both of their lives. Mary was an amazing mother and grandmother, always a bit worried but never judging. She was the most loyal person we’ve ever known and always loved her family unconditionally. For that we will be eternally grateful.
Mary will be missed so much by those who survive her, her sons Patrick Paulin and Brian Paulin, her grandchildren Margaret Paulin, Ella Paulin and Zach Paulin, as well as her daughters-in-law Heather (Spaulding) Paulin and Jaymarie Fox. Mary is also survived by her sisters Patty Doheny and Joan (Doheny) Mayer as well as her brother Charlie Doheny.
If you feel inclined to contribute as a tribute to Mary, please direct them to The Women’s Center of SMÌìµØÂÛ̳, Wisconsin.
No funeral services will be held. Instead there will be a celebration of life in early November. We want to have everyone who treasured Mary get together to share our stories and our love for her.
Pagenkopf Funeral Home is serving the family. For more information, call 262-567-4457 or visit .