Paula Langley Wilhite

Paula Langley Wilhite, 65, of Bolivar, passed away on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Born on July 1, 1960, in Lauderdale County to Mildred Evangeline Bradford Langley and Curtis Voss Langley, she attended schools in Ripley, Bolivar, and Alcoa. She graduated from Alcoa High School and Draughons Business College before beginning her career at Bagwell and Associates.

A chance reunion in Knoxville with a childhood sweetheart from her early days in Bolivar led to her marriage to Harold Wilhite in November 1984. Their union lasted nearly 42 years. After their wedding, Paula served for 36 years as administrative assistant to the chief of police and as city court clerk for the Bolivar Police Department, retiring in 2020.

Deeply devoted to her faith, Paula was an active member of Bolivar First Methodist Church, where she served on committees, taught Sunday school, and participated in the Methodist Women’s group. Her passion for history and genealogy found expression through her involvement with the APTA and DAR. She treasured time with family above all, becoming the cherished keeper of stories, records, and family trees for both the Langley and Wilhite families. Paula found joy in good books, antiquities, gardening, time with friends, and lively family gatherings. Yet her greatest loves remained her husband Harold, her children, and her grandchildren. She delighted in her role as Mimi to Emmett, Wallace, Evangeline, and Hank, embracing it with warmth until the end of her life.

Known for her kindness, warmth, and genuine interest in others, Paula never met a stranger and expressed her love through thoughtful gifts and surprises for her grandchildren. Even as she faced a long illness with quiet grace, she rarely complained. She is survived by her husband Harold, her daughter Emma Scott (Austin), her son Henry, and her four grandchildren, Wallace Scott, Emmett Scott, Evangeline Scott, and Hank Wilhite. She is also survived by her brothers, Curt Langley (Sharon) and Shannon Langley, her brothers- and sisters-in-law, Rick (Judy), Larry (Teresa), Jerry (Carla), and Frank (Christy) Wilhite, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her father- and mother-in-law, Richard and Sally Wilhite, and her nephew, Richard Wilhite III.