- Date Of Birth: August 23, 1927
- Date Of Death: May 17, 2020
- State: Iowa
Paula Belle (Mathews) Rissman finished her earthly pilgrimage peacefully on May 17, 2020. She lived all 92 years in Iowa.
Born in Union County, she graduated from North High School in Des Moines in 1944 and attended Drake University before beginning her work at Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. She married Lawrence W. Rissman in 1950 and raised 3 children: L. Jeffrey Rissman (Susie) of Clive, Loree Miles (David) of Dallas Center, and Jon P. Rissman (Cherie) of Urbandale. She had 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
Paula was passionate about her North High School classmates, was a founding member of Douglas Avenue Presbyterian Church, loved vacations at Lake Okoboji and their home at Sun Valley Lake, never saw a baby she didn’t love, was a voracious reader, argued politics with anyone who would dare, had high standards for her children, was crazy about her grandkids and was disappointed that her physical limitations in her later years made it difficult for her to enjoy her great-grandkids.
Paula made moving a sport in her later years. She moved 11 times since 2010 because she liked new places and new faces. She spent the last few years at Deerfield Retirement Center in Urbandale. Her family celebrates her life and all the love and support she provided them. Go in Peace, Paula!
In addition to her children and their spouses, she is survived by her sisters, Sherrill Bain and Wanda Bechtel both of Urbandale, grandchildren Jennifer (Ryan) French, Minneapolis (Tilda and Margo), Annie (Andy) Pezalla of Minneapolis (Owen and Jack), Rebecca (Matt Siegel) Rissman of Naperville (Zoe and Lena), Erik (Laurine) Raker of Des Moines (Maddy and Lilly), Mike (Jennifer Cruz) Raker of Charlottesville, VA (Ella), Robbie Rissman, Urbandale, and Jessica Rissman, Urbandale.
Paula will join her husband of 64 years in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter. The family wants to thank the incredible staff at Deerfield Retirement Center for their loving care of Paula. And to Mary Lou Hopkins we will be ever grateful for your friendship and care of our mother.
Paula desired memorials to go to Scholarships for 2020 graduates of North High School.
