Paula Mathilda Grubbs

Paula Mathilda Grubbs, 73, of the Hill District, was born August 26, 1951, in Pittsburgh, PA. She was the beloved mother to Monroe Grubbs III and Brandi Mengo. She was raised in the Hill District where she attended Vann Elementary, then to Herron Hill Middle, before graduating from Schenley High School in 1969. In high school, she worked a brief time for the Pittsburgh Department of Education, then for Chik King, a local restaurant, where she met her husband (Monroe Grubbs Jr.) of thirty-eight years. Shortly after she married in 1969, she began a long, successful career at Dollar Bank. She started as a teller, then worked her way through Residential Lending. She exceled through underwriting, managing the mortgage closing processes, and finally retiring after forty-eight years, as the Assistant Vice President of Mortgage Operations. While working, she volunteered with many United Way initiatives, as well as helped many families find opportunities towards building generational wealth through the “Mortgages for Mother’s” program in Pennsylvania and Ohio. As many know, she developed an interest in the 1990s in competitive bowling. She started bowling one evening a week for recreation, then built up a special reputation as a strong, committed bowler under the affectionate nickname, Poo. Before Poo quietly retired in 2020, she participated in as many as eight leagues, at one time, across the Pittsburgh area. In addition to bowling, she cherished spending time with family and friends playing games, attending card parties, and traveling. Her travels included cruises in the Caribbean, to the sights of Canadian Niagara Falls, and coast to coast stops along the Amtrak route.
Paula departed this life suddenly on December 22, 2024. She was preceded in death by her parents, Broughton Ganaway and Carrie Montgomery-Ganaway; brother Tyrone Ganaway; sisters, Beverly Montgomery, Toni Garrambone, and René Tinker. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her son, Monroe (Tiffany) Grubbs and daughter, Brandi (Duane) Mengo; sister, Dorothy (Edward) Brooks; two brothers, James and Bruce Ganaway; grandchildren, Paula Harrison-Grubbs, Makayla (Anthony) Copeland, Roman Mengo, Marcus Braxton, Tyreeke McClendon, D’von and Devin McClendon, and a host of great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and cousins, along with extended family and friends.
She will live forever in our hearts.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Paula Mathilda Grubbs, please visit our floral store.