Sunshine Brass Band of Tampa Bay

One of the band's longest-serving leaders, Randy Stribling, has experienced the loss of his wonderful wife of 35 years. We stand by our dear friend during this difficult time. Use the Read More link below for the loving tribute he penned for her.

Paulette was born May 23, 1952, the second child of James and Glendean Bennett in Moss Point, Mississippi, a small town on the Gulf Coast where you could ride your bike safely anywhere. As she grew up she enjoyed ballet, piano, chorus, glee club, Girl Scouts, cheerleading, and numerous other school activities, such as the Junior Miss pageant. Paulette volunteered at the hospital as a candy striper and she enjoyed family vacations with her mom and dad and her big brother, Jim. After graduating high school she attended Perkinston Junior College and graduated with an Associate in Arts degree in music and voice. During her childhood she occasionally ran into an ugly boy with big ears who attended the same schools. She never gave him a second look and continued her life and activities. Paulette had a beautiful singing voice and would sing for many weddings in and around the Gulf Coast as well as playing the piano.

After graduation from high school, and her first year of college, she happened to meet that boy again and started to think twice about dating him. They corresponded during her next year of school and struck up a very good friendship.

Once she graduated from college she decided to take some additional courses to help her in the world of business and accepted a job with the regional mental health program for Jackson County Mississippi. One of the patients wrote a poem about her, which was published in the local newspaper. It is an acrostic using the first letters of her name and was written in 1972.

PAULETTE BENNETT

Pretty as a picture, this girl friend of mine
At everything she looks, her face doth shine
Upon her head, her hair grows long.
Listen to her and hear her heart’s song.
Everything she does, she does it well;
Throughout her life, she does it swell.
Too gay, perhaps, but how can anyone be too gay
Everything goes like, like DAY BY DAY

But let me go on about this friend of mine.
Every day, I’m glad that her face doth shine.
Never a dull moment in her life so sweet.
Never in her life will she live on my street
Energetic and even adamant can this girl be.
Too much going on in this big old world you see.
This young lady will win the game of life you’ll see.

Paulette was always a hard worker and enjoyed life. Unfortunately that ugly boy Randy kept bugging her and after a year and a half of dating they became engaged. She kept working as Randy attended school and spent a little time with Uncle Sam. Upon his return from active duty, he asked her to marry him and she said yes. Paulette and Randy were married on May 18, 1974. Over the next four years she worked full time as Randy continued in architecture school and undertook several courses in special education for herself.

In 1977, Paulette and Randy moved to Jackson, Mississippi where Randy finished architecture school and they lived and worked. Paulette was reluctantly convinced to convert from being a Methodist and to be baptized in the Baptist church and she and Randy became active in Sunday school and sang in the choirs at First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1983 Randy was offered a job in Tampa and decided to relocate and try a new work/living experience. During the move and upon arrival in Tampa, Paulette began feeling sick. After seeking medical treatment, she found out that she was pregnant with their son, Richard. It was quite a surprise to both of them but over the next twenty five years, Paulette and Randy raised and nurtured Richard and became involved in many community and church activities. After moving their letters to FBC Tampa, a whole new group of friends began to develop. Paulette sang in the church choir until her health problems interfered.

Paulette had a varied and rewarding working career with experience in the life insurance field, engineering firms, the Tampa FSO for the US postal service, the USF pediatric and adolescent medicine program, and currently was completing her 9th year at the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. She could remember more of Randy’s colleagues by name than he would ever learn and always enjoyed working with people.

One of her biggest joys was shopping. Paulette was a “shopper’s shopper”. She could smell a bargain at 50 yards and prided herself at finding clothing and other items in clearance and special sales. It was like being on a safari to her and she loved it. She was frugal in her spending and that made it even more satisfying to her.

During her life, Paulette always had aches and pains, partially caused by a head-on collision with a drunken driver during her senior year of high school. Allergies caused her to suffer what seemed like a perpetual cold but she ignored the symptoms and moved ahead with life. Her final battle with pain was within the grip of Pancreatic Cancer, first diagnosed around Thanksgiving of 2007. Originally, she was diagnosed as being operable and through surgery and treatment, curable, but that type of cancer is very aggressive and after a year of chemo and radiation treatments, it recurred in February of 2009. Her chances for survival were slim; she was told she could try experimental treatments or could endure another surgical intervention for a try at a complete cure if successful. Opting to go for the cure, she had a second surgery in June. A third emergency surgery on July 3 brought her to the end of her life, as she could not recover from the trauma and infections brought on by the disease and massive surgical procedures. Even through her pains and extended stays at the hospital, she was always able to smile at everyone she met and offer a kind word of thanks for prayers, cards and visits.

Thank you to all who endured the daily postings and emotional outpours on her Care Pages. Your responses offered hope and comfort when there was very little otherwise.

Paulette was one special lady and will be missed by her family and friends. She is finally now in complete peace and perfect health. She is in the comforting arms of her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In her love, Randy