Paula Roberge

We celebrate the extraordinary life of Paula Roberge, born June 6, 1936. Paula passed away Aug 21, 2017 at the age of 81, after a long struggle with Chronic Lung Disease.
Paula was a wonderful loving soul -a friend to many people, a mother to three children: Diana, Marilyn and Peter, and a wife to Hank Roberge. Paula touched many lives during her life. She was a kind, loving, and gentle person -her laugh infectious and her desire to enjoy life immense.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Earl and Marian Ewald, Paula was the youngest of three children. Her parents provided a loving and stable home. Earl was a successful engineer and utility executive, and Marian, who came from a family of artists, was a homemaker and artist. Paula attended Grinnell College but found the tug of Broadway Ballet too enticing, and to her parents’ dismay, in her early 20s, moved to New York City with a desire to dance professionally. Paula found teaching to be her forte and opened a dance school.
While in New York, she met her first husband, Richard Wagner, and following a short engagement, they married and moved to Minnesota. Her daughters Diana and Marilyn were born in Minnesota. Soon after, Paula and her family moved to Marblehead, Massachusetts where her son Peter was born. Back in Minnesota, following a divorce, she pursued what would be her life long career in travel.
Paula got her early start in travel by working nights at Northwest Airline’s ticket counter at the airport, but moved on to become a travel agent with the Downtown Dayton's Travel Desk, where she discovered her passion for creatively promoting leisure travel.
When her parents relocated to Boulder in an effort to fully enjoy the Colorado that the family had enjoyed for many summers at the family cabin near Estes Park, Paula followed. She moved her family to Lakewood, Colorado, and after a few years at Arvada Plaza Travel, she struck out on her own by opening Colorado School of Travel and eventually, Travel Square One Travel Agency. Her influence in travel grew as her school supplied a steady flow of enthusiastic and well-trained agents to the local industry. Paula's experience in travel was deep and broad. The perks of the business allowed her to adventure around the world -Africa, Europe, South America, Asia and more.
Paula's energy seemed endless. A dancer, a teacher, a traveler, an artist, her list of things to do was never complete. She was always on the go and forever creating – her most recent passions: beautiful beaded jewelry, meticulously decorated and costumed porcelain dolls, and various “Paula-designed” fashions.
At seventy five years of age, Paula met the love of her life, Hank Roberge. Three years after they met, Paula and Hank married and lived together in Golden, Colorado. It may well have been the happiest years of her life. Sadly, their time was brief, as Hank passed away several years later. She is survived by her children: Diana Petrak, Marilyn Borglum, and Peter Wagner; by her siblings: Carol Johnson and Clark Ewald; and by six grandchildren.
Paula lived a full life surrounded by loving relationships and enjoyed many amazing experiences. Loved by so many, she made friends quickly. People often commented that Paula was their favorite client, friend, or acquaintance. Her sincerity, humor, wit and concern for others and the love that she brought to her relationships were unparalleled. Those who knew, loved, and survived her - friends and family - will miss her dearly as God now guides her destiny. May she rest in peace in the care of Our Lord.