Nicole Mary Paulson, 42, born and raised in the Monterey and Santa Cruz Bay Areas, passed unexpectedly on September 26th, 2019 walking along a beautiful beachfront in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Born in Salinas, California on her father's birthday, December 23, 1976, she spent her childhood years in Santa Cruz, California and later lived in both Watsonville and Marina. A natural with numbers, Nicole was an accounting expert who took a new path after the events of 9/11/2001. Nicole felt a call to serve and enlisted in the United States Air Force. After returning from military service, she moved to Texas, a state that felt like home to her, and continued pursuing her education, earning a B.S. in Accounting and achieving her goal of an M.B.A.

Nicole's dogs were her children. Her first love, Haylee, a stately K-9 bred German Shepherd, was followed by a string of rescue dogs, including Ranger, Deuce, Patriot and Ariel.

Country music was the soundtrack of Nicole's life. It soothed her soul and spoke her truths. Nicole was fortunate to meet many of her idols over the years, including Keith Urban, Craig Morgan and Trisha Yearwood, to name a few. Her photos with them were cherished possessions.

Nicole was always kind, not a mean-spirited bone in her body. She loved others and her country above herself, for better and for worse. Her sweetness, sharp intelligence and bright blue eyes will forever remain in our memories.

She is survived by her mother, Mary Paulson of Watsonville, her father Steven Paulson, her step-mother Laura Paulson, her sister, Westi Paulson Haughey, her brother-in-law Michael Haughey, her niece and nephew Grace and Emmett Haughey all of Jacksonville, Oregon, her Uncle Dennis and Aunt Nancy Paulson, of Rockport, Texas, and grandparents Loren and Sharon Scribner of Brownstown, Michigan.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, Nicole's memory be honored with donations to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter or Vested Interest in K9s https://www.vik9s.org/ways-to-support/ .

You may add your condolences and messages here, on this Guardian Funeral Home website Obituary Page.

A celebration of Nicole's life, will be held in Santa Cruz or Monterey County, and is TBA.. Keep your eyes on this page for the announcement of a date, time and location of this event, for Nicole Paulson.

Also, if you want to personally contact Mary, Nicole's mom, email me at: QuiteContrary14@att.net or IM me on FaceBook as "Mary Quite Contrary."

Please give me your contact info if you want me to send you details of the gathering and / or for a remembrance card for Nicole that I can mail to you. Please feel free to share your experiences and stories of the time you spent with Nicole.