Lura “Paulette” (Abbott) Steen, age 78 of Allen, Texas, departed this earthly life of breast & liver cancer on November 9th, 2022 surrounded by family. Paulette was born on August 25, 1944 to Maxine Elliott and Lewis E. Abbott of Fort Worth Texas. She married her best friend Gaines “Joe” Steen in September of 1963 and was married for 35 years before being widowed and preceded in death by Joe Steen in 1999.
She is survived in death by the two children born to this union, Steven Gaines Steen and Rheta LeAnne Steen. She also has six surviving grandchildren, Bryce & Tyler Steen (29), Cameron Steen (22), Elvis Steen (20), Delilah Morgan (15) & Anikah Morgan (14) and three great grand-children (Kierra, Liam, & Sabrina). She is survived in death by her sisters, Julia Abbott and Linda June Abbott, as well as her daughter-in-law, Julie Steen, a host of loving nieces, nephews & cousins, and countless beloved friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Steen, both of her parents, Maxine & Lewis Abbott, and her granddaughter, Farrah Jacy Morgan.
Paulette was raised in Ft Worth, Texas where she graduated from Richland high school. She moved to Dallas with Joe Steen and eventually South Garland where she and Joe settled to raise their family. She enjoyed being a homemaker when the kids were little but was always interested in fashion. In the early 80s, she managed trade stores in the Dallas Market Center, including major fashion markets that occurred quarterly. Later, Joe and Paulette opened their own boutique fashion store with commissioned and retail clothing art and accessories as the theme, in Lake Highlands, Texas. They filled their life to the brim with activities and travel including Alaska, France, England, Italy, Hawaii, Jamaica, and other locations around the world. They also enjoyed annual family snow skiing trips in Colorado and beach vacations in the summers. They almost always had a sport boat for summer water skiing on lakes around Texas. After Joe died, she took a job at Ebby Halliday Realtors to pass the time. She was quickly elevated from reception to “listing agent” due to her organizational skills. She had a wonderful work family in Ebby Halliday agency for about 15 years, before retiring.
Although she engaged in a multitude of volunteer work, her primary interests included Girl Scouts of America, Dallas Junior Hockey Association, The Garland Center for Performing Arts, and room parent for the schools her kids attended.
She was a dance, drill team, and hockey mom. Paulette supported all of her kids and grandkids’ interests financially and emotionally, throughout her life.
Paulette and Joe supported the development of hockey in Dallas through all available avenues including being season ticket holders to the Dallas Blackhawks (minor league team) attending all exhibition games in Dallas before the Dallas Stars were move to Dallas Texas, and eventually purchasing a set of Dallas Stars Season Tickets that are still in the family, today.
Paulette was a very kind person. Everyone can attest that she had a non-judgemental ear and allowed people to share their experiences, fears, accomplishments, woes, and successes. She always shared in the feelings of success as well as cried with you in your pain. She was a wonderful friend, mother, daughter, sister, wife, and employee. To know her was to love her. Her patience and caring understanding led people to feel comforted, warm, and empowered when spending time with her.
She is truly missed and will never be forgotten.
Her service and celebration of life will be held on January 14, 2022 at 1 PM at St. James Episcopal Church in Lake Highlands, Texas. The service at 1pm in the church will be followed by a celebration in the Parish Hall immediately after with music, slideshow and refreshments. If you are attending, please wear bright colorful clothing in honor of Paulette.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations St. James Episcopal Church and/or Conquer Cancer, The ASCO Foundation in memory of Paulette Steen.