Paula Nelson-Marten

Paula went to be with the Lord on September 8, just five months after losing her beloved son, Sam, in April of this year.  Paula is survived by her brother, Ted (Sonia), her two sisters, Pam (Howard) and Tammy, nieces Ashley (Lee), Rose and ShaLin, great-niece, Lexi and her nephews, Mike and Tom, as well as extended family and many friends and colleagues. In addition to Sam, Paula was predeceased by her parents, Paul and Ruth Nelson and sister, Holly.

Paula was born in Denver on August 1, 1947.  She grew up the big sister to four younger siblings, a role that she played all her life.  Paula attended Thomas Jefferson High School, graduating in 1965.  After high school, Paula attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, graduating in 1969 with a major in Biology.  Paula knew then that she wanted a career in medicine, which she fulfilled with a long and successful career in nursing that spanned over 50 years.

After college Paula traveled to NYC and enrolled in the New York Medical College Graduate School of Nursing program, receiving her MS degree in Nursing in 1971.  Paula went on to earn a second Master’s degree in 1981 and her PhD in 1988 from Texas Woman’s University.  Reflecting Paula’s interests in oncology and the importance of hope, her doctoral dissertation was titled, Health and hope:  Perceptions of cancer patients and well adults.

Paula began her nursing career as a staff nurse on the transplant unit of the Veterans Administration Hospital in its former location on 9th Avenue and Colorado. The fact that her father, Paul, was the medical administrator of the VA hospital for over 30 years might have influenced Paula in this choice. At the VA, Paula also met a fellow nurse and dear friend of 50 years, Beverly Nelson, who later became godmother to Sam.

Although Paula began her career in hospital nursing, it soon became apparent that working in academia would be her love and ultimate career.  After leaving the VA, Paula became an instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and then moved on to the Finley Hospital School of Nursing in Dubuque, Iowa.  Continuing in her career, Paula became the Associate Director of Nursing at Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center in Topeka, Kansas. During this time, Paula also met and married her husband, Jim Marten.

In 1986 Paula returned to Colorado to begin her final 34 years of employment as a faculty member of the University of Colorado, College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus.  As a board certified oncology nurse and clinical nurse specialist for over 20 years, Paula served on more than 50 different committees, taskforces, and councils, developed the palliative care certificate program and had over 10 funded research projects.

In terms of scholarship, Paula had over 95 publications, book chapters, presentations, abstracts, newsletters, and media presentations, as well as being the recipient of 40 different fellowships and awards.  Paula’s passion in healthcare and nursing encompassed palliative care, ethics, and theory.  Paula is remembered fondly by both the colleagues she worked with and the numerous students she taught during her long career in the College of Nursing.

In addition to her academic career, Paula also was an Army Reserve Nurse for 23 years, retiring as a Colonel in 1997.

Paula and Jim adopted their only child, Samuel Paul, in 1989.  Sam was the focus and light of Paula’s life, and mother and son traveled around the world including twice to India, the country of Sam’s birth.

Paula was an involved and supportive parent to Sam as he grew up.  She was Sam’s biggest cheerleader during his child and teen years on the ice hockey team at Big Bear Ice Arena, she volunteered as a nurse at the Colorado Lung Association annual summer Champ Camp which Sam attended as a child with asthma, and Paula was a Camp Coordinator at the Indian Heritage Camp Sam attended summers at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colorado.

Sadly, Sam recently passed away (see Sam’s biography on Horan McConaty website), and this was an overwhelming loss for Paula.

Throughout Paula’s life, she was guided by her faith in God and her attendance at Bethany Lutheran Church, where she was baptized as an infant 75 years ago.  Paula was a long time member of the Bethany Deborah Bible Study group and Global Mission committee; she was the founding co-chair of the Bethany Parish Nursing program which began in 1997 and continues to today.   Paula leaves many, many friends at Bethany who helped celebrate Sam’s life and now celebrate hers.

Paula’s family is grateful for the outpouring of love and respect from her countless colleagues, church members, friends and neighbors who have shared their history and stories of Paula with us. Paula is remembered for her fun personality, her bright, inquisitive mind, ready laugh and generosity of spirit.  Whatever she did in her life, Paula dedicated herself 100 percent, whether it was teaching graduate students, pursuing her research interests in nursing, sponsoring school children in Africa or delivering cookies and bread to an elderly neighbor during the holidays.

A Celebration of Life service for Paula will be held Friday, October 21, at 1:30 p.m., Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 East Hampden Avenue, Cherry Hills, Colorado. It will also be live-streamed at Bethanylive.org ( https://bethanylive.org ).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following charities in Paula’s memory:

Bethany Lutheran Church Global Mission Fund

Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation

HeartLight Center

Or a charity of your choosing.