Paulette M. Walz's Obituary
Paulette M. Walz, age 74, of Leesburg, FL, went to her Heavenly home on July 27, 2023. Born in Livingston, TN, on Feb. 16, 1949, Paulette was the third of four children to her parents Virgil ‘Zeke’ Paul Mathis and Dorothy Jean (Spurlock) Mathis.
Paulette attended Jackson County High in Gainesboro, TN, where she was a member of the Class of ‘67. She attended Tennessee Tech University where she studied business before pursuing a job working as a claims development clerk at the Cookeville, TN, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office. From there she moved to Florida and started working for the SSA Office of Hearings and Appeals in Daytona Beach before moving to Leesburg where she continued her lifelong U.S. government career working in social security administration, eventually becoming a National award-winning SSA public affairs specialist who was widely known for presenting on Social Security to community groups and financial organizations, as well on television and radio. It was during her time working for SSA that she met her beloved husband, Mark Walz, whom she worked alongside throughout her career spanning 30+ years.
After her retirement from SSA in 2011, Paulette continued working as an independent retirement consultant and public speaker for BlackRock for several years. Throughout her career, she received countless awards, including the SSA’s highest honorary award, the Commissioner’s Citation. On October 7, 2009, Representative Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida prestigiously honored Paulette in The United States Congressional Record Books for her lifetime of dedicated service.
Paulette was an incredibly ambitious, hardworking, and exuberant woman who was empathetic towards others and always willing to volunteer her services without request. Her deepest love in her life was for her husband, along with her son (David Lee Forkum), followed by her and Mark’s many dogs over the years, her family and friends, her Summer Wind on Lake Harris community, her Christian faith, gardening, and motorcycling. Paulette will be greatly missed by those who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Paulette is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 36 years, Mark Walz; her son David Lee Forkum; her parents; her sisters Dolores Ogle (Don Ogle) and Elaine Mathis; her twin brother Paul Mathis; and her nephew Don Ogle Jr.
Paulette leaves behind her grandchildren Sara and Lee Forkum; a trove of grandchildren; her nieces Kathy Hogue (David Hogue) and Cynthia Manis; along with many extended family members and close friends; as well as her and Mark’s dog Abby.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, Sept 15, 2023, at 10:00 AM EDT at Hope Lutheran Church in The Villages, FL.
Contributions in Paulette’s memory may be given to the Humane Society of Lake County (https://www.humanelake.com), YOUR Humane Society SPCA of Sumter County (https://hsspca.org), and Hope Lutheran Church of The Villages, FL (https://hope4all.church).
What’s your fondest memory of Paulette?
What’s a lesson you learned from Paulette?
Share a story where Paulette's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Paulette you’ll never forget.
How did Paulette make you smile?