Jean M. (Kardek) Paulauskas, 94, of Amesbury, and formerly of Haverhill, passed away peacefully March 23, surrounded by her family at Merrimack Valley Hospice House.
Paulauskas was born in Amesbury Sept. 29, 1922, to Nellie and Peter Kardek. She was the elder of their family’s five children and attended Amesbury schools. As the daughter of Polish immigrants, she took great pride in teaching the English language to her parents. Growing up during the depression years and being the elder child of her family, she worked tirelessly to help support her parents and family. Early in her career she worked in the accounting office of the Amesbury Hat Factory, the Henschel Company and Towle Silver in Newburyport. After her marriage, she made her home in Haverhill and was employed by Western Electric. She worked for decades as a fancy stitcher and sample shoe maker for the Allen Shoe Company in Haverhill until her retirement. Her creativity and sewing skills also lead her to work part time at Samuel Roberts Clothier in Haverhill creating sample fashions. She was a member of the Saint George’s Catholic Woman’s Club.
While enjoying dancing during the Big Band Era, she met and fell in love with the Club Mayfield Orchestra’s pianist. She married him, Joseph Daniel, Feb. 4, 1951, and they shared 61 years of marriage. Her favorite times were spent at the family’s camp at Lake Attitash. There she enjoyed her passions of cooking, gardening, and entertaining. She spent countless happy hours on the lake boating, sailing, fishing, and swimming.
As an accomplished cake decorator, she was called upon to create the family’s anniversary cakes and made each of her daughter’s birthday cakes. Paulauskas loved sewing, cooking and reading recipe books and sharing these with her daughter.
She was predeceased by husband; parents; brothers Edward, Joseph and Stanley; and many relatives and friends. She leaves her daughter, Linda A. Bradley and her husband; son in-law, Ronald J. of Methuen; grandson, Kevin J. of New Braunfels, Texas; sister, Josephine Gaucher of Exeter, N.H.; and many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
Her daughter and son in-law thank the staff at Lawrence General Hospital and the staff and volunteers at the Merrimack Valley Hospice House.
Visiting hours are Thursday, March 30, at Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 South Main St. (route 125), Haverhill, from 3 to 7 p.m. Services begin Friday morning in the funeral home at 10. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Holy Family Parish, Amesbury, at 11 a.m. Burial follows in the Lithuanian Cemetery, Haverhill. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Jean’s memory may be made to the Jimmy Fund.