Joy Mclaughlin

Paula Joy was originally from Chicago, Illinois. She was born to Nahami and Alfred Reingold. She was both passionate and resilient. Paula had a boisterous laugh that could be heard everywhere. Paula was a mover and a shaker in all aspects of being. She loved to dance and feel the flow of music from her limbs into her soul. She often volunteered to be the change that she saw in the world.

At the age of 9 she was hit by a bus and in a coma for many months. She came through this although injured with a beautiful outlook of life. Although bound by her body’s limitation of being in a walker or scooter, she was never immobilized to take a stand for equality, justice and peace. She mobilized with other like minded community members to use what she had to the best of her abilities. She was a poet and artist that saw the world in the artistry of a pastel, pencil and the ink of her spoken word. Paula had a gift to paint the world in vibrancy and warmth even in the darkest of storms.

Her advocacy for justice were penned by her screenplays that she wrote with her late husband Jimmy McLaughlin. She studied art, worked as a legal assistant, loved the Blues and loved to dance.

She was a spiritual woman that held her Buddhist faith strong. She was a member of the SGI USA Buddhist community, Keys to Peace, the Latitude 25 Writers, JOY, a pacifist and a volunteer of the Democratic Party.

Of course the book of her life would read: she came into this world with the name Joy and went back to the heavens with the word “laugh” in her last name. May Joy Paula McLaughlin be remembered with love, kindness, grace and dignity. She loved life and lived it to the fullest.

Please help her family and community to celebrate and honor her life by actively doing something kind for another person.

She is survived by her family members Berta Benally, Jeneda Benally, Klee Benally, Clayson Benally, Dyatihi Benally, Bahiyyah Benally, Deezhchiil Benally and Zonnie Benally.