Paula Mae Smith, a longtime resident of Henryetta, Oklahoma, passed from this life on September 18, 2026, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 71. She was born on Sunday, October 31, 1954, in Henryetta, Oklahoma, to Melvin Eugene Maxwell Sr. and Gloreta Mae (Buffington) Maxwell.

Being born on Halloween earned Paula the affectionate nickname "Daddy's Little Spook." It was a name that suited the playful side she carried throughout her life. She enjoyed a good laugh and an occasional playful scare or prank.

Paula worked as an inspector for Anchor Glass for 33 years. She took tremendous pride in her work, and those who worked alongside her remember her as one of the very best at what she did and one of the hardest working people they knew. Many of her coworkers became lifelong friends whom she treasured long after their days of working side by side. It was also at Anchor Glass that Paula met her husband, Donnie.

As hard as Paula worked, it was the way she loved that truly defined her life. She was extraordinarily loving, generous, and giving. Above all, Paula was someone you could count on. She was always there. For anyone she loved, she showed up, even when she was tired or not feeling well herself.

She was the kind of person who would give what she had without stopping to consider whether she had enough left for herself. She could give someone her last dollar and never let them know it was her last. She did not give for recognition or gratitude. She gave because that was simply who she was.

One of the principles Paula often repeated was, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." More importantly, she lived it.

Her family was the center of her world. She loved her husband, daughters, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews fiercely and without reservation.

To her daughters, she was not simply Paula. She was Momma. The bond she shared with her girls was incredibly close throughout her life. She often told them she loved them "more than life itself." Those words described the depth of her love and will be carried by her family forever.

Paula was a small town girl at heart who carried herself with a natural sense of class and grace. She also knew how to have fun. She loved a good vacation, whether trying her luck in a Las Vegas casino or setting sail on a cruise.

Paula was also a woman of faith and a member of Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church in Mounds, Oklahoma. The faith she carried throughout her life now brings comfort to those who love her, with the assurance that this goodbye is not forever.

Paula was preceded in death by her parents, Melvin Eugene and Gloretta Mae Maxwell; her daughter, Sharla VanBrunt, and Sharla's husband, Clifford VanBrunt; her sister, Vilenna Shaddix; three brothers, Thomas Maxwell, Samuel Maxwell, and Kelly Joe Maxwell; and two grandchildren, Logan and Addison Smith.

She is survived by her husband, Donnie Smith, of the home; her children, Rebecca Cagle and husband Thomas of Wetumka, Oklahoma; Julie Brown and husband Jerrod of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Nathan Smith of Henryetta, Oklahoma; and Aaron Smith and wife Jennifer of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren, Crystle Chance, Scott Smith, Tanya Durrett, Alesha Kirk, Billy Ryder, Ashley Mackey, Christopher Ryder, Dakota Cagle, Bentley Brown, Mason Brown, and Beckham Brown; eighteen great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild; her siblings, Melvin Maxwell Jr., Roger Maxwell, Coraine Holland, Billie Carson, and Carlotta Jane Bass; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, coworkers, lifelong friends, and countless others whose lives were made better simply by knowing her.

For a family accustomed to Momma always being there, learning to live without her physical presence will be one of the hardest parts of saying goodbye. They will carry her forward in the lessons she taught them, the generosity she modeled, the stories they tell, and the love they give one another.

And they will always have her words:

"More than life itself."

Viewing for Paula will be held Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Integrity Funeral Service.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Dewar United Pentecostal Church, with Darin Smith officiating. Interment will follow at Dustin Cemetery under the direction of Integrity Funeral Service.