Obituary of Protima Paul

Our beloved Protima Paul passed away peacefully at the age of 38 on Thursday May 5th, 2022 at Toronto General Hospital, surrounded by her loving family. Protima is survived by her husband, Womesh (Junior as we call him); and her son Veekesh. Protima Paul (Tima as we called her) was welcomed into this world by her mother, Srimati Paul and her father, Pramankur Paul. She is the much-loved sister of Pradeep and Mahesh Paul. From the moment she entered this world, her determination is what set her apart from others. She excelled at everything she did because she knew that she was destined to change the world. From a very young age, Tima showed tremendous aptitude towards school not just in the classroom but also with extra curricular activities. She was not only a member but a leader in all the clubs/councils she joined. From a presitige of Student Council to leading the Athletics Association, Tima always stood out as a leader among her peers. As for her academics, Tima continuously made the honour roll and graduated as a distinguished Ontario Scholar. However, that wasn’t enough for Tima as she also achieved her Kipling Shield, one of the highest awards given to students who go beyond academics to positively impact their school’s community. In fact, she has one of the highest scores of all students who received this distinction. From the age of 15 Tima, was put into harmonium lessons where she learned not only her talent for playing the harmonium but also her ability to sing. For those of us who were invited to Karaoke, we know her voice always put us to shame! High school was where Tima thrived, maybe this is why she chose to be a teacher? She loved to compete at sports, namely volleyball and softball. In school, she was the Assistant Coach for the men’s volleyball team and also the Coach for the girl’s volleyball team. Her love for sports led her to purchase a volleyball net of her own which she lugged around with her to every family event. Tima was passionate about teaching and wanted to impact future generations to come. She completed her bachelor’s degree at The University of Toronto with honours. As she finished teacher’s college, she knew that history and maths were where she could make a difference. Little did she know that teaching would bring more challenges than just educating young people. She would stay late at school, meet privately with students and found a way to inspire each and every one of them to care about their futures. Often, she would hear students say: “Ms. Paul, why aren’t other teachers like you?” or “Ms. Paul what am I going to even do with this in the future”. However, Tima never faltered and found a way to connect with each an every student. Tima’s influential abilities were not limited to the classroom as she often went out of her way to take her younger cousins out or spoil her family and encourage them to get out and try something new. She’d take everyone to the best all you can eat sushi place in Toronto or even Brampton if it guaranteed delicious sushi. She never forgot a birthday and gave custom, hand made cards unique to each person. Tima was never one to cut things short. She would always take the long route as long as it benefitted her family. Tima believed in feeding people, that’s how she showed her love. From crab pasta salad to cracker cake and her selection of cookies that could put Mr. Christie out of business, Tima never came emptied handed to someone’s house and travelled as if she carried a general store in her purse. Tima had it all. If you needed it, she had it and would always be willing to lend it to you. Seeing Tima’s many talents from singing, doing makeup, photography to maths would make you feel it was impossible to compete with her, but she would use this to inspire others to try. She was an exceptionally gifted person who always aspired for more. How would Tima spend her weekend? Her competitive nature always encouraged a games night filled with bite sized snacks and pizza. Tima made it clear she wanted to win and would always find a way to get you right at the end. More recently, she loved her nature walks and making the most of spending time with her family and friends. In fact, her friend group encompassed people from all walks of life. She found a way to connect with the human in each and every person she met. She has left many fond memories with her family. Though teaching was Tima’s passion, her love was for her husband, Junior and her son, Veekesh. Tima was meant to be a mother and a wife. She always prioritised others and though only a short four months, she gave everything she could to Veekesh. Junior, himself, has always been the quieter partner, but he will have many stories for baby Veekesh about Tima’s joie de vivre, infectious laugh and her ability to live life to the fullest. Unknowingly, Tima was on a path to change the world. The impact she had on her students, fellow staff, family, friends and even people she met throughout life can be seen not only through the photos she took but the impression she left them with. Tima will always be remembered at every family event, picnic, or anytime someone takes a bit of a chocolate chip cookie. She will be remembered in every joke that landed perfectly or in the sound of a camera’s shutter. Rest in peace our beloved and deeply missed Protima Paul. We all love you and will miss you forever.