Paula Ess

Madison-Paula T. Van Ess, age 73, passed away on Thursday, December 15, 2011 surrounded by her loving family at Badger Prairie Health Care Center. She was born on January 7, 1938 in Emporia, Kansas to Paul and Bettie (Thomas) Lange. She was a 1956 graduate of Shorewood High School in Milwaukee, a 1960 UW- Madison graduate, majoring in French and Italian. She also obtained a degree from Madison College in the Dental Hygiene Program. Paula married the love of her life, Len L. Van Ess on July 15, 1961 and was blessed with three children. She worked for the Wisconsin Telephone Company in Milwaukee and Madison, and following the raising of her family, she practiced dental hygiene at Dental Heath Associates.
Paula acquired numerous lifelong friends through her choral and vocal music groups, tennis competitions, biking and nature outing groups and her participation in the life of her church. She spent countless hours volunteering and giving to others, including working with children at Falk Elementary School, Allied Drive after school programs, youth tennis programs and delivering mobile meals. We will all miss her witty sense of humor and poetry writing talents.
Paula is survived by her wonderful and caring husband of 50 years, Len, three children: Patricia (Gary) Means of Verona, Amy (Steve) Kaitz of Maple Grove, MN and Peter (Carol) Van Ess of Brighton, MI. Eight grandchildren: Kevin, Megan and Adam Means, Ryan and Noah Kaitz, Dominick, Nina and Nicole Van Ess. Sisters, Karen Hickman of Livermore, CA, Suzi (Arlan) Anderson of Tallahassee, FL; brother-in-law, James Van Ess of Milwaukee.
A very special thank you from her family to her devoted friends and to the care givers and health care professionals of Fountainhead Homes, St. Mary's Care Center, Badger Prairie Health Care Center, UW Medical Foundation and UW Hospitals and Clinics.