Pauline Wade, a devoted Catholic, nurse, mother and advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities, died at the age of 87 July 21.
Born Dec. 18, 1937, in New Bedford, Mass., she was one of 11 children in the family of Arthur and Irene Racine. Pauline spoke French at home and through her early education in a French-speaking grammar school.
She answered a call to nursing during high school and graduated from St. Luke’s School of Nursing.
She met her husband, Ron, in high school and they dated while she was in nursing school. He was studying engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. After getting married in October 1959, the couple moved to Washington, D.C., and raised five children. Pauline later served as the school nurse at St. Louis School in Alexandria and at MVLE, a supported employment organization.
In 1973, Pauline and Ron co-founded Hartwood House, one of the first respite homes for families of young adults with disabilities in Northern Virginia. Pauline served as the director for several years. Hartwood Foundation now has 17 homes in Northern Virginia.
Pauline was an active and involved parishioner of St. Louis Church for 60 years. She served as a Eucharistic minister and was active in the Legion of Mary.
She is survived by her children, Michael Wade, Jocelyn Folsom, Janine Wade, William (Billy) Wade and Nancy Bishop; sons-in-law Scott Folsom and Brian Bishop; and grandchildren Madeline, Peter and Daniel Bishop. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 54 years, Ronald Wade.
A visitation was held July 26 at St. Louis Church in Alexandria followed by a funeral Mass. A committal service took place that same day at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexandria.
Donations may be made in Pauline’s name to Hartwood Foundation Inc. at hartwoodfoundation.com.
