Paula Vice

Paula Vice, 61, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2026, in Amarillo, Texas. She was born on May 28, 1965, in San Pablo, California, to James and Rosina Vice.

To understand Paula, you first must understand how deeply she loved her family. She did not love from a distance. She showed up, spoke up, carried what needed carrying, and made sure the people she loved never had to face life alone.

She was, in every sense, a momma bear.

Paula was fiercely protective of her children, grandchildren, and anyone she considered family. She could be gentle and comforting, but she was never passive. When someone she loved was hurting, struggling, or being treated unfairly, she stepped in. She would stand beside them, stand up for them, and, when necessary, stand between them and the world.

That was simply who she was.

Life did not always make things easy for Paula, but hardship never took away her capacity to love. She carried more than most people knew and kept moving forward because her family depended on her. She was the one people leaned on in uncertain times, the steady presence who made a difficult situation feel manageable simply by being there.

Paula was strong, but her strength was never cold. It was marked by compassion, loyalty, humor, and a heart that stayed open even after life had tested it. Her home was a place where people could come as they were. She listened without judgment, gave what she could, and made people feel as if they mattered.

Above everything else, Paula was a mother. Her three children, Rosina “Sophia” Cerda, James “Jaime” Cerda, and Stephanie Cerda, were at the center of her life. She loved them completely, not only when life was going well, but through mistakes, setbacks, disagreements, difficult seasons, and new beginnings. Her children always knew that their mother was in their corner. She might tell them the truth when they needed to hear it, but she would never stop loving them, defending them, or believing they could find their way forward. Her six grandchildren, Alyssa, Damion, Mason, Andreah, Anthony, and Abel, brought her tremendous joy. She was proud of each of them, not as a group but as individuals with their own personalities, struggles, and dreams. Her love gave them something solid to stand on. They will grow up knowing their grandmother loved them fiercely and without reservation.

Paula is also survived by her younger brothers, James Vice and Jeremiah Vice, as well as many extended family members and friends whose lives were changed by knowing her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Rosina Vice, and her sisters, Lisa Amdahl and Tammy Williams.

It is difficult to capture a life like Paula’s in a few paragraphs. She was not defined by titles or polished words. She was defined by what she did. She protected her family, held people together, kept going when life became difficult, and loved with everything she had.

She was the backbone of her family. She was the one who made others feel safer just by being there. She carried the weight, even when it was heavy, and reminded the people around her that they were stronger than they believed.

Her family will miss the sound of her voice, the comfort of her presence, and the certainty that she was only a phone call away. There will be moments when the urge to call her comes before the painful reminder that she is gone. That absence cannot be filled.

But the strength Paula gave her family did not leave with her. It lives in her children when they rise after being knocked down. It lives in her grandchildren when they protect one another. It lives in everyone who learned from her that love is not only something you say. It is something you prove by showing up, staying close, and refusing to abandon the people who need you.

Paula loved without hesitation, protected without fear, and remained a pillar of strength throughout her life. She will be deeply missed, fiercely loved, and never forgotten.

“Those we love do not go away. They walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near.”