Paula was a devoted wife, daughter, sister, mother, and friend. Once you met her, you were instantly pulled toward her beautiful spirit and larger-than-life smile. There are so many words that could be used to describe Paula: Funny, Loyal, Determined, Courageous, Beautiful, Encouraging, Forthright, Caring, Inspiring and Loving.
Paula was born in Ohio and raised in the small town of Clyde. She was the older of two daughters and was very close with her family. She was a superb student and a stand out athlete. She graduated from Clyde High School in 1994 and attended Kent State University. At Kent, Paula worked part time for the Athletic Office and was a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity. She graduated in 1998 with a Bachelors of Business Administration.
Paula enjoyed traveling and was an avid sports fan of The Ohio State University and Cleveland professional sports. Paula also enjoyed arts and crafts, spending time with family and friends and playing with her two dogs, Brutus and Thor.
In 2004, Paula began working at Key Bank in Cleveland. Unbeknownst to her, her future husband was just steps away, although it took several years for Paula and Craig to see what everyone already knew. They were meant for each other. They were engaged shortly after one year of dating and planned a beautiful destination wedding in Mexico in July of 2011.
In October, the couple took a second honeymoon to Jamaica. Within weeks of returning, Paula and Craig learned they were expecting a baby. Even through the morning sickness, the tiredness and discomfort, Paula was ecstatic when she learned they were expecting a boy!
Paula was induced on Monday August 27, 2012, she was one week overdue. Before her son was born, Paula suffered an amniotic fluid embolism and was unable to recover. Thanks to the quick thinking of the medical staff and a little help from his mommy, Mason James was born via C-section and is a happy, healthy and thriving little boy.
Wanting to do something to honor Paula and raise funds to support AFE research, Paula’s family and closest friends organized the Paula Mounts Krejci 5K run/walk in her hometown of Clyde, OH. In their first event more than 200 participants hit the trail. Several AFE families from all over the country also attended. Now, in its 5th year, several hundred participants continue to take part in the run/walk, enjoy a BBQ lunch, and try their luck at the raffle. Over $40,000 has been raised to benefit the AFE (Amniotic Fluid Embolism) Foundation to fund AFE research. Register or learn more on Facebook.
