Paula Leitner Templeton

Paula Leitner Templeton of Lake Wales, Florida, passed away peacefully at the Bud & Donna Somers Hospice House at the age of 77. Diagnosed with ALS a year earlier, she faced her illness with remarkable courage and grace, living fully until the end.

Born on January 22, 1949, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Paula was the daughter of Grace Brown Leitner and George Richard Leitner. She grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, graduated from Dentsville High School, and earned her dental assistant certification from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her lifelong commitment to serving others began at age 15 when she volunteered in the dental clinic at the VA hospital.

While living in South Carolina, she met First Lieutenant Curtis Templeton, who was stationed at Fort Jackson. Their whirlwind romance led to marriage just three months later, beginning a devoted partnership that lasted a lifetime. Paula was a proud and loving mother to Richard Wallace Templeton of Hendersonville, North Carolina, and Cameron Curtis Templeton and his wife Candace of Atlanta, Georgia. She cherished her two grandsons, Owen and Walker Templeton, and is also survived by her beloved twin sister, Pam Leitner of Johns Island, South Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Judy Leitner Wilds.

Paula embraced life with humor, curiosity, and compassion. She had a keen eye for fashion, which she expressed both personally and through her volunteer work as assistant manager of the Good Shepherd Thrift Store, where she helped others feel confident and valued. Deeply creative, she played key roles in planning fundraising events for the Lake Wales Art Council and Bok Tower Gardens and served on committees for the Lake Wales Art Show. Her faith was central to her life; she served her church as a Guardian ad Litem, Stephen Minister, Eucharistic Minister, and Head Warden. An active spirit, she competed in tennis in Polk County for many years, visited more than 60 countries, danced her way to runner-up on a cruise ship’s Dancing with the Stars, completed a mini triathlon, and bungee jumped off the Nevis Bridge in New Zealand.

She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.