Paula Rae LaMaina
Paula Rae LaMaina (née Dwyer) passed away peacefully on January 4, 2026.
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Paula was the daughter of the late William R. and Estelle (née Engelman) Dwyer. She was a proud graduate of Julienne High School, Class of 1951; St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1954; and earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Dayton in 1956. Paula met her beloved husband, Larry, at the NIT Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City — the beginning of a lifelong marriage.
Paula dedicated her career to caring for others as a nurse at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, and in Hawaii. She later worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, and served as a substitute school nurse at Christ the King School in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
She was a devoted member and officer of the Women’s Club of Runnemede and an active member of the Ocean City Yacht Club, where she also served on various committees. She especially loved spending time at the Yacht Club watching her grandchildren sail. Paula also enjoyed playing golf and tennis, particularly during the winter months at Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club in Palm City, Florida.
Paula is survived by her husband of 67 years, Lawrence Joseph LaMaina, Jr.; her son, Larry (Rosemary) LaMaina III of Moorestown, NJ; her daughter, Jackie (Jim) Russell of Haddonfield, NJ; and her six cherished grandchildren: Victoria “Tori”, Lawrence Joseph IV “Joe”, Alison “Ali”, John Gerald “Jack”, Hannah, and Leah Hershberger. She is also survived by her sister, Mary Pearson; her brother, Denis Dwyer; and many loving nieces and nephews.
The LaMaina family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday, January 8, 2026, from 10:00–10:45 a.m. at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, 200 Windsor Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ, where her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Entombment will follow at Calvary Mausoleum in Cherry Hill, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Paula may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org